Nothing Is What It Seems V 2014

Editor: We’re looking at "Nothing Is What It Seems V," an acrylic on canvas painting by Paulo Tercio from 2014. It’s an intriguing piece featuring two stylized birds against a very dark background. The mood feels confrontational, almost adversarial. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The title itself acts as a crucial key, doesn't it? The birds, presented almost as symbolic figures, draw upon deeply rooted associations. Notice the bird on the right: the stark, geometric redness, adorned with what appears to be an ornate collar, even a kind of armour. What might that armour symbolize, culturally and perhaps personally, to the artist? Editor: Protection? Power? Maybe even vulnerability disguised? Curator: Precisely. The artist may be drawing upon an archetypal language here. Birds have long served as potent symbols. In many cultures, they are messengers, embodying freedom, spirituality. But Tercio seems to be actively subverting those expectations. Consider the other bird, the textures around its eye suggest anger, the focus is palpable. It evokes something beyond the surface. Are these simply birds, or are they reflections of internal conflicts? Editor: It's interesting how the artist uses a common image like birds to represent something so complex and, as the title suggests, perhaps misleading. I was drawn in by their strangeness. Now I’m considering the psychological weight of those shapes and colors. Curator: Yes, it moves us to consider symbols we inherit or presume we know, encouraging reflection upon the possibility they mask unseen dimensions. Editor: I’ll never look at a bird the same way again.