Superman 2018

Curator: Up next we have "Superman," a mixed-media collage from 2018 by Nathaniel Mary Quinn. It's a striking, fragmented portrait. Editor: Fragmented is right. My initial impression is one of unsettling beauty. It feels like a dream slipping away, or a memory pieced back together incorrectly. Like a psychological profile, you know? The guy in it doesn't seem super to me, actually, rather kind of lost or deconstructed. Curator: Indeed, Quinn's process is crucial to understanding the work. He combines charcoal, gouache, pastel, and oil paint in a collage technique, sourcing images from magazines and advertisements to create these fractured faces. This layering becomes a way to comment on identity as something constructed, almost manufactured. Editor: Like how we put ourselves together. It is not seamless; it is collage, an artifact, just bits. I mean, I see a sort of a red, white and black wing almost pasted on to the subject's cheek, kind of covering the side of their face. It disrupts the expected form. And it works, beautifully. What kind of commentary you think it is that Quinn is driving at here, precisely? Curator: He's grappling with memory, trauma, and representation. The fractured surfaces mimic the brokenness of personal experience and the challenges of self-construction in a society saturated with images. This invites reflections on material culture and its impact on self-perception. Quinn challenges high art notions by using common mass media—the stuff that, as he knows, we consume on a daily basis—in the creation of fine art. Editor: Yes, "Superman," the title alone has this ironic ring to it! The fragmented visage reminds us that even icons, maybe especially icons, carry internal scars and contradictions. Also, the somber tonality really enhances this sense of underlying struggle. The greys… the splashes of somewhat faded colors! There's melancholy here! Curator: I agree; his visual vocabulary is effective! Consider his selection and manipulation of materials. The collage medium itself echoes themes of repurposing, reusing, which points to a larger critique of consumption and waste within contemporary society. Editor: Thinking about the idea that identity is a constant reinvention based on societal debris...that really sticks with me! A thought to ponder. Curator: For me, understanding his meticulous technique deepens my appreciation for his commentary on how images impact us all, making and breaking who we become.