A Mad Tea Party 

Scott Gustafson's "A Mad Tea Party" is a riot of color and detail, evoking a sense of whimsical chaos and warmth. The composition is carefully structured around a table laden with teacups and treats. The arrangement teeters on the edge of disarray, yet is held together by a gentle palette of soft yellows and blues. Gustafson uses the semiotic language of fairy tales, exaggerating features and clothing to create distinct, symbolic characters. Alice is composed and central; the Mad Hatter and Hare are animated with gesture and facial expressions, their dialogue palpable. There's a sense of destabilization in the artwork. The characters don't exist harmoniously in space, and the laws of physics seem suspended, inviting us to question fixed perspectives. In the spirit of structuralism, Gustafson dissects familiar stories to make something entirely new and disorienting. The texture feels incredibly tactile, inviting us to explore the cultural codes embedded within the artwork and reflect on the nature of storytelling itself.