Dormant Luster 

Curator: Here we have "Dormant Luster" by Cassidy Rae Marietta. This vibrant painting feels steeped in pattern and decoration. What strikes you first about it? Editor: Pure joy. It's an explosion of color, almost psychedelic, with this central figure surrounded by... well, everything! The floral patterns are intoxicating. Curator: Yes, look closer at how the floral motifs repeat and layer. It moves from figuration towards something more abstracted in those background repetitions. Editor: It’s funny, the title suggests something "dormant," but there’s so much energy! Perhaps it's the potential waiting to bloom. Or it might be speaking about how pleasure exists on a tipping point with the materials of excess and mass-production of decorative designs. Curator: Interesting idea, focusing on material. Considering the process, the artist uses acrylic paint to create that really defined Pop Art look. How does the use of paint play with the themes, in your opinion? Editor: It contributes to the artificiality, in a way. Everything is heightened. These colors are so vivid, it feels almost synthetic, even though it's nature represented, right? The contrast draws me into her narrative – who is she, what's her context. The flowers are tools! Curator: There’s a deliberate tension, the juxtaposition between figure and background. Notice those bolder linear elements used throughout; a very specific choice. And of course, a great example of pattern repetition here too, wouldn't you say? Editor: Yes. They work on a micro and macro scale at the same time, which mirrors how design elements find their way to our daily lives, even in our own homes. It makes it extremely lively. Makes me want to put on some groovy music. Curator: So, overall what feelings remain when observing such work? Editor: A feeling of liberation, I guess. A celebration of seeing things that we think of as simply pattern come alive again. What about you? Curator: Well, for me, it is mostly thinking about what the design production has to say about identity as it comes and goes. But that’s something for everyone to reflect on on their own.