Enlightened 2013

Curator: Jack Armstrong's 2013 acrylic painting, "Enlightened," strikes the viewer with its vibrant chaos. What are your immediate thoughts? Editor: It’s quite striking. There's an intense, almost primal energy. I see this explosion of red and gold that dominates the canvas. The underlying layers create a complex tapestry, almost like viewing a microscopic organism teeming with life. Curator: Indeed. Looking deeper, you see Armstrong is known for his ties to the concept of Cosmic Extensionalism—essentially a merging of celebrity culture with abstract art and numerology. To truly analyze this, we should consider its context within global power structures. Editor: Well, the bold colors resonate across cultures—red often represents vitality, blood, fire, intense emotion and power. And gold…well, gold signifies enlightenment, divinity, and illumination. There are archetypal meanings ingrained in us across vast cultural spaces. Curator: That certainly provides one entry point. Yet if we divorce the symbolism from the socioeconomic conditions of the artist, aren't we missing crucial pieces of the puzzle? The use of acrylic on canvas isn't a neutral choice; its accessibility has played a role in democratizing art. Editor: That’s an interesting consideration. But does that inherently negate the possibility of primal imagery tapping into collective experiences and, perhaps, ancestral memory, regardless of material conditions? Curator: Not necessarily. Yet focusing solely on universal symbolism risks masking how societal power imbalances affect representation within any visual schema. Do we fully understand how "enlightenment" might represent radically different access points to those of differing gender or race within a stratified system? Editor: Those intersections undoubtedly deepen the complexity of Armstrong's work, and enrich its relevance today. I initially saw an almost overwhelming intensity, and perhaps that signifies our internal spiritual striving, even while entangled within earthly conditions. Curator: Precisely. A valuable lesson here is the need for a multi-faceted approach in analyzing artwork like this; we must avoid simplistic categorizations to truly unravel the nuances. Editor: I completely agree. Approaching a piece with sensitivity to context and enduring symbol invites more honest and inclusive interpretations.