Pin-Up 

Curator: Today we’re looking at a piece entitled “Pin-Up,” a pastel drawing by Rolf Armstrong. Editor: Well, first impressions: it's quite charming! There's something so light and airy about the execution, almost as if she’s made of confectioner’s sugar. I really love how the red in her lips stands out amidst the soft washes of color. Curator: Armstrong, during his career, truly capitalized on a romanticized image of feminine beauty that pervaded much of popular culture. His works helped set standards of beauty for a wide audience and it can be argued how women have been socially pressured by artwork of this nature. Editor: You’re absolutely right; and while those concerns are undeniably valid, I still find myself drawn to the pure artistry, how the softness of the pastels gives the subject a dreamlike quality. Look at how he uses a limited color palette to create such subtle shading and highlight. The gaze itself seems so cleverly positioned, as if playfully inviting the viewer. Curator: Right, and it’s important to think about the social functions that the artworks themselves occupied. These images adorned calendars, magazine covers and other forms of media, helping set trends. We must also consider their impact and Armstrong's choices and whether or not those should be held to our current standards. Editor: The texture he creates, the way he suggests details rather than explicitly defining them, almost invites the viewer to participate in creating the image. Her gaze definitely enhances this. The artist also plays cleverly with gradients and fading contours to reinforce a softness that mirrors the intimacy the scene itself invokes. Curator: Absolutely. His skillful representation and its placement and propagation within mainstream media shows the importance of understanding this artist’s social context as part of understanding and appreciating this particular piece. Editor: Well, even viewing it now, through a very contemporary lens, the artwork makes me contemplate the construction of beauty in general. Curator: I concur. Reflecting upon that context is precisely why critically analyzing Armstrong’s choices provides the viewer with the greatest chance to have a richer interpretation of "Pin-Up."