Secretive 2004

Editor: Deborah Azzopardi's "Secretive" from 2004, is executed in acrylic paint. I find the cropped composition really intriguing and… well, suggestive. It almost feels like a still from a Pop Art-era cartoon, but imbued with a distinctly adult mood. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The magnified intimacy immediately calls to mind the symbolism of forbidden knowledge and hushed exchanges. Note the iconic power of the red: the nail, a sharpened point suggesting dominance and precision; the lips, full and slightly parted, implying a moment before or after a secret is shared. These symbols aren't merely decorative, they act as cultural triggers, almost primal in their allure. Do you see echoes of similar symbolism in advertising or perhaps even religious art? Editor: I hadn't thought about religious art, but I guess the heightened colour and dramatic framing do remind me of altarpiece details or something. So the red isn't just a bold design choice? Curator: Colour rarely exists in a vacuum. Think about red’s historic association with passion, danger, even sin. The artist is deliberately playing with these connotations, using our collective visual memory to amplify the work’s emotional impact. The secret itself becomes almost secondary. It’s the anticipation, the implied transgression, that resonates. Editor: So it’s about understanding those symbolic connections, tapping into those deeper cultural meanings embedded in an image. I see that so clearly now. Curator: Precisely! And understanding that allows us to appreciate the artist's intent to connect on a much more profound level. It leaves me wondering what the "secret" could be…and how differently each viewer interprets the possibilities based on their own life and experience.