Girl with tie 1923

Curator: Right, let’s discuss Zinaida Serebriakova’s self-portrait, “Girl with tie”, created in 1923. What are your immediate impressions? Editor: Well, initially, I'm struck by its raw, almost unfinished quality, and its gentle subversion of typical portrait conventions. The casual tie suggests a blurring of gender roles, an intriguing visual statement. I'm also interested in what the tie is made out of. Curator: Indeed! I think Serebriakova here isn’t just painting a portrait, but a mood. The soft pastels give her a dreamy quality, don’t you think? The way the red coat loosely drapes feels almost theatrical, hinting at performance and constructed identity, like dressing up. Editor: Yes, there's something compelling about how those pastel marks create the fur-like texture at the bottom— the animal origins of the material juxtapose against the tailored neatness implied by the jacket and tie. Was this blurring of formal and informal dress reflective of post-revolution fashion? Curator: Perhaps a sign of the times; more broadly, Serebriakova was quite innovative for her era, especially as a female artist. Her use of pastel creates an intimacy that's quite arresting. The colours she employs; those soft blues and oranges work perfectly together, right? The portrait speaks to themes of identity and representation, how we choose to present ourselves, especially through clothing and art. The texture, with her visible marks, shows, perhaps the daily grind for a young painter. Editor: Right, let’s not forget the pastel medium itself; a blend of pigment and binder pressed into sticks, sold, and consumed, much like the clothes and accessories it depicts. It suggests the artist’s reliance on industry and commercial processes as much as talent. The loose style may have simply been the cost or a rapid output demanded for sales. Curator: Good point. I guess for me, it’s about Serebriakova capturing not just a likeness but the spirit of a moment. And in terms of that spirit, and in particular the Russian-avant-garde, you see hints of art nouveau, that interest in lines and flows that adds an intimate, almost ephemeral dimension. Editor: Yes, and now I find myself thinking about her labor in relation to ours – art history, material culture – how we take raw facts and attempt to weave them into cohesive narratives for audiences. How much like that painting of lines, this presentation is not perfectly cohesive. Curator: Beautifully said. I think it really helps to understand her approach and even how her portrait remains in touch with the themes of time. Editor: Precisely, seeing a confluence of ideas, work, material, image; an experience greater than its making.