Eulalia 

Curator: Welcome. We're looking at "Eulalia" by Sofia Bonati, a striking portrait rendered primarily in monochrome. The date of its creation remains unconfirmed. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: The graphic impact is immediate. The strong contrast between the black and white stripes creates an almost dizzying effect. It’s definitely eye-catching and the limited palette certainly centers the viewer on the image's composition. Curator: Precisely. Bonati’s style merges surrealist and Pop Art sensibilities with traditional portraiture. The swirling lines visually consume the subject. We can think about this concerning the way women and femmes have often been represented in art: framed and confined, caught in systems that constrict them. How might that apply to Eulalia's appearance? Editor: That’s an interesting reading. For me, the monochrome choice speaks more to a consideration of materiality – perhaps a printmaking tradition or a reflection on how images are reproduced and circulated. It gives the work an almost industrial feel. And looking closer, notice her hands...they’re positioned rather unnaturally as though they're tools she intends to put to use, and considering your commentary around femmes within visual fields, I do find it quite poignant. Curator: That's a valid interpretation too. From a feminist lens, her neutral expression resists easy categorization. Are we seeing stoicism, defiance, or a studied indifference? The fact that she stares directly out forces a confrontation and asks us to examine the dynamics of looking. Further, the work may symbolize the complexities of identity – how one's self-perception can be affected by external forces or internal paradoxes, like being ‘boxed in,’ to evoke our first reaction. Editor: Indeed. Those bold stripes may seem to flatten the figure, almost like a graphic reproduction or print. Yet the work is so meticulous... the stark lines play cleverly with surface and depth. She’s right there and feels almost displaced into another field. I agree. Curator: Ultimately, "Eulalia" exists as a testament to the possibilities of a dialogue: the self versus world, identity versus appearance, technique versus narrative. We must continue questioning the interplay and potential disruption of societal expectations within it. Editor: I think focusing on Bonati's method allows us to reflect on the act of image-making itself: who gets to create, what tools are used, and what impact does it all have. Thanks to works like this, the social lives of forms keep making more sense to me.