Fingernails 2015

Curator: Elina Brotherus' photograph, "Fingernails," created in 2015, offers us a curious portrait through the singular lens of hands and nails. The composition immediately evokes a sense of intimate domesticity. Editor: Yes, there’s a certain vulnerability in this close-up of aging hands against denim—hands that are no longer conventionally beautiful yet speak to a lived experience, defying the airbrushed, manicured expectations often placed on women. Curator: Indeed. I am drawn to the contrasting textures—the lines and delicate topography of the skin against the smooth plane of the painted nails, little points of bright azure. It’s an interesting dialogue between the organic and the artificial. Editor: Absolutely, and the bold choice of the blue polish against the skin tones challenges beauty norms head on. It’s as if the artist is making a statement about self-expression, about choosing to adorn oneself, despite the inevitable march of time, and celebrating the labor performed by the hands, tools for making change. It reflects ideas in feminist aging studies, that emphasize aging women’s resilience. Curator: From a formal perspective, note how the asymmetry of the hands—one adorned with a wedding band, the other bare—creates a visual imbalance, unsettling any conventional reading of beauty or domestic bliss. This forces us to closely examine our aesthetic assumptions. Editor: Precisely! That one gleaming band shines as a testament to a commitment— perhaps highlighting not only matrimonial bonds, but a personal covenant to remain visible, valued, and vibrant in a culture that tends to marginalize older women, choosing visibility. Curator: It certainly subverts our gaze. Focusing on just the hands makes you rethink portraiture conventions, offering a statement that refuses to provide easy answers or standard visual pleasure. Editor: A thought-provoking defiance. It is also an evocative composition and its resistance to being neatly defined grants its power, particularly regarding identity and aging. Curator: Ultimately, this artwork shows us a great way in which beauty can arise from what culture overlooks or discards. Editor: This resonates deeply. We often discard those aspects of life that should in fact be considered worth celebrating and documenting, and this image reminds us that age is a precious subject to be appreciated in artistic expression.