White Noise 

Curator: Let's consider "White Noise" by Sarah Joncas. It's a compelling figurative painting, seemingly rendered in acrylic. Editor: The first thing I notice is the overall muted palette—the stark contrast of greyish-brown skin against that hazy pink backdrop feels strangely unsettling, almost ghostly. Curator: Indeed. The subject is presented frontally, and though we have realism, she's also adorned with surreal, floating floral elements. It brings to mind Ophelia-like symbolism. Flowers traditionally carry so much meaning about beauty, transience, innocence… even death. Editor: Exactly. Those oversized blossoms, hovering unattached to anything, give me the impression of imposed expectations. The work feels weighted with this visual vocabulary surrounding feminine beauty, even innocence, but is presented through the cold, distancing lens of our contemporary digital age. The title itself, "White Noise", speaks to the drowning-out of authentic self-expression. Curator: An apt connection. Considering portraiture across centuries, the subjects are always dressed, styled to a certain code. Here, the pearl earrings, the lace collar...it feels traditional yet somewhat artificial, too, echoing classic archetypes. What do you read from her eyes? Editor: I think they hold the key to the work's socio-political punch. Despite the conventional feminine presentation, there is a palpable stillness in her gaze that defies the soft aesthetic surrounding her. It's knowing. Perhaps exhausted. Definitely reflective. It reads to me like quiet resistance, a reclaiming of agency amidst the noise of expectation. Curator: I appreciate your point. Seeing how Joncas blends realistic rendering with slightly surreal imagery—and given her frequent use of similar themes—it does underscore how deeply rooted the cultural construction of idealised womanhood truly is, still today. Editor: I think looking at pieces like this gives us a framework to interrogate exactly how the construction of identity, especially feminine identity, has both been shaped by history but also challenged in the now. A great point of intersection for further dialogue, I would argue.