Alice in Wonderland 2014

Curator: Oh, what a striking piece. We're looking at Dave Macdowell’s “Alice in Wonderland,” completed in 2014. It appears to be acrylic paint on, perhaps, canvas. My initial reaction is…unsettling sweetness. A kind of dark whimsy. Editor: Yes, I find it immediately captivating – such deliberate crafting of an uneasy, unsettling tone. Look at the density of detail; consider the artist's hand in producing this hallucinatory vision. I am interested in understanding how the materials chosen serve that intensity. Curator: Absolutely. There’s a definite tension here. The traditional “Alice” imagery – the dress, the Cheshire Cat – are twisted, almost weaponized. Note the ankh symbol, and then you are plunged in symbolism from death with the skulls mixed with ice cream cones, a spider about to plunge on the hat like impending doom; its about a journey. Editor: It’s fascinating how Macdowell manipulates recognisable iconography, creating an alternate cultural context. What processes and resources went into generating an image of such surreal juxtapositions and dark humor? I think in this rendering we’re seeing something about social unease or possibly how pop imagery can be perverted? Curator: The context is interesting, because that symbol stands for life which really brings up a question of identity. Note the medicine bottles that surround the cat which also seems to be distributing more. Its a complex narrative being offered. Is it medical care? Torture? Mind control? Also it’s worth noting how far away from "Naive art" this actually is despite it being tagged, I feel its got far to much complex symbolism and skill for it to be that simple. Editor: Precisely. So, considering materials and method: how much digital work was involved, for example? And could this work act as an articulation of societal anxieties concerning manufacturing? Its fascinating how contemporary methods can give new insight on historical characters. Curator: Yes! This reimagining certainly leaves a lingering sense of disquiet. The cultural touchstones we know from childhood are used to provoke deeper contemplation regarding psychological unrest. What an image. Editor: Absolutely; thanks to that the artistic process which really demands we acknowledge labour, the artist's deliberate choice and application is clearly a skilled and challenging endeavor, to be admired.