Mist IV 1996

Editor: This is Paula Rego's "Mist IV," an etching. I find the scene unsettling with those figures in the background. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The means of production here, the etching, highlights reproduction and accessibility, potentially mirroring the commodification of domestic life depicted. How does the materiality of the etching, its starkness, influence your perception of the depicted labor of care? Editor: It makes it feel stark and isolating, like a snapshot of a private moment. Curator: Precisely. The layers of clothing and bedsheets also speak to materiality and consumption. How does their depiction affect your understanding of class and comfort? Editor: I hadn't considered that, but it definitely adds a layer of complexity. Thanks for the insight!