She was learning to love moments, to love moments for themselves 2017

Editor: Amy Sherald painted "She was learning to love moments, to love moments for themselves" in 2017 using acrylic paint. It's… striking, I think is the word. The muted greyscale of the figure against that almost aggressively cheerful dress. What are your thoughts? What do you see? Curator: Well, for me, that striking juxtaposition is everything. Sherald, isn't she clever? By rendering the skin tones in grayscale, she’s pushing us to really *see* this figure, beyond simplistic notions of race. Do you think that vibrant dress acts almost as a joyful armour? A celebration of those very moments she is learning to love? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, but now that you mention it, yes! It’s like the dress is shouting, "I am here! I am joy!" but her face… it’s contemplative. Curator: Exactly! The title adds another layer, doesn't it? Loving moments isn’t always easy. Sherald's work, for me, is about exploring the complexity of identity. And who doesn't learn the hard way that sometimes moments of joy are met with complex internal reactions? It reminds me a little of my own quest of understanding the "right now"... Editor: It's a really powerful way of thinking about it. I originally just saw a cool painting with interesting colours, but now it feels much deeper than that. Curator: Isn't that the best thing about art? How it keeps unfolding if you just give it a chance to speak to you. It can hold a mirror to yourself. Editor: Definitely. I'm going to spend a lot more time looking at her other works now. Thanks for the insights!