Summer 2019

Editor: This is Milt Kobayashi’s "Summer" painted in 2019, using oil paint. The figures, these two women in yellow dresses leaning back-to-back, appear almost…vulnerable, yet self-possessed. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a powerful commentary on contemporary representations of women. Consider how the impasto brushstrokes almost render the figures unfinished, raw, perhaps alluding to the ongoing and often turbulent process of self-definition that women navigate within societal pressures. Do you notice how their positioning, back-to-back, suggests both support and a potential disconnection? Editor: I hadn't considered the sense of 'unfinishedness' that you mentioned but I see it now, especially around the edges of the painting. That back-to-back pose initially felt like intimacy to me, but the distance between their gazes does suggest a more complex relationship. Curator: Precisely. The artist’s choice of a domestic setting contrasts with the women's introspective expressions. We might think about the politics of space: Who gets to occupy what space, and on what terms? Kobayashi is prompting us to consider the interiority of female experience within those frameworks. Editor: So, rather than a simple portrait, it's more about the wider societal forces shaping female identity. It also feels quite defiant. Curator: Absolutely. The rawness subverts the traditional male gaze which demands polished, passive beauty. It's a neo-expressionist reclamation, using traditionally feminine signifiers - like the dresses or the "summer" theme itself- and upending them to showcase female resilience. Editor: I see the defiance, even rebellion, more clearly now that you mention the contrast of "feminine signifiers". That's a helpful perspective shift. Curator: By engaging with intersectional feminist theories and actively critiquing ingrained cultural norms, Kobayashi challenges us to dismantle and deconstruct prevailing perspectives on women’s roles. It's an ongoing dialogue about empowerment. Editor: This has completely changed my understanding of the painting; seeing the subjects not just as figures, but as actors responding to larger power structures. Curator: And I appreciate your willingness to see how it all fits together – art and theory – for a more complete interpretation.