Broken 2020

Curator: Well, this is striking. A digital portrait of a young boy… yet somehow melancholic, despite the colorful cartoonish elements floating around his head. Editor: Indeed. What speaks to me most are the material contrasts: the photorealistic rendering of the child’s skin juxtaposed with these flattened, graphic thought bubbles. You know, the interplay between digital precision and this hand-drawn, almost naive aesthetic is intriguing. It begs the question— what tools made this? A tablet? Stylus? How does that influence our perception? Curator: Those graphic elements are fascinating from a sociological point of view. The thought bubbles contain these whimsical figures that hint at themes of play, imagination and inner turmoil. But the single band-aid suggests a vulnerability. How is the artist negotiating themes of childhood, mental health and race within contemporary visual culture? Editor: I’d say the cartoonish figures challenge that sense of melancholy by adding a layer of complexity, it feels like she's also talking about how Black children navigate feelings. Is this a representation of escapism? A reflection of the narratives imposed on Black youth in media and pop culture? What is the artist trying to get across? Curator: Good question. Mahaffey came of age with digital art, and so for her, it becomes a powerful means of not just creating art, but distributing art—a sort of democratization through online platforms. The way that this art will enter the world of online art institutions will make sure it's out there, more public and with a broader reach, what do you think about it? Editor: Absolutely. The rise of digital art allows for the immediate dispersal of imagery, breaking down those historical gatekeepers that long determined what art the public saw and validated. But with digital mediums being used to reflect personal identity, race, feelings… how are the themes in that artwork more consumable? Curator: Those considerations remind us of how images circulate, especially in an age when art enters through online platforms and in a world dominated by visuals. Editor: Precisely.