#monalisa2018 

Curator: This mixed-media painting is entitled "#monalisa2018" by Alex Gross. Immediately striking, isn’t it? The artist merges a recognizable figure with modern cultural artifacts. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: It's visually arresting, definitely. The juxtaposition is jarring, almost humorous. Seeing the Mona Lisa, a figure of such classical refinement, decked out with a phone, a "Big Gulp," and an American flag skull t-shirt is...unexpected, to say the least. Curator: It certainly pulls you in! Alex Gross, known for his pop-surrealist style, is often reflecting on the impact of commercialism and technology on society. The choice to remix Da Vinci’s iconic subject opens many interesting angles. Editor: Absolutely. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa represents an ideal, an epitome of Renaissance art. Gross disrupts this completely. Look at her modern accessories: her phone, headphones…and a lip piercing. These are the new status symbols, loaded with meaning about identity and belonging. Even the Louis Vuitton bag signals something. Curator: Precisely. The bag could represent wealth and a degree of globalism, maybe. This is where the socio-political elements come in, where we begin to understand not only the individual choices portrayed, but perhaps a larger conversation about consumer culture in 2018 and onward. Editor: And the Big Gulp! That’s no casual choice. It represents mass consumption, almost an ironic embrace of commercialism. She is holding on tight! This could also reference the health crisis in the U.S. Curator: It really does come together to deliver a statement about our current relationship with iconography and identity. Alex Gross has presented us with this kind of updated icon, reflecting back at our contemporary culture and selves. Editor: And successfully disrupting the established, singular icon we associate with Renaissance ideals. Definitely makes one question what our future symbols will be. Curator: Indeed, it is a work of layers, and hopefully leaves the visitor here with some rich topics to ponder as we conclude. Editor: Agreed, I am left thinking about symbols old and new and their significance. Thanks.