Trappings 

Editor: This painting, titled "Trappings" by Erik Thor Sandberg, depicts a rather unsettling scene in a forest. What strikes me is the strange mixture of childish play and primal hunting, all observed by the mounted animal heads on the trees. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, the forest itself is a powerful symbol, a place of the unconscious, where societal norms break down. The mounted animal heads speak to the traditions of the hunt, dominance over nature, but here they are silent observers, almost judging the chaotic scene below. What do the figures evoke in you? Editor: The figures, especially the children dressed in hunting gear, evoke a sense of inherited roles, perhaps the perpetuation of certain violent or competitive aspects of society, but with an innocence lost. Curator: Precisely. Look at the animal skins the figures are adorned in – are they trophies or disguises? They echo ancient rituals, a merging of human and animal. Sandberg is interested in that primal connection, that shedding of civilized layers. What does it mean that even childhood itself seems… tainted? Editor: It’s almost as if they’re acting out a drama passed down through generations, a script they haven’t fully understood but are compelled to perform. The trappings, both literal and figurative, seem to be weighing them down, even the ones riding those surreal horses. Curator: The horse is significant – nobility, power. But the multiple sets of legs are unsettling. Sandberg challenges these established power structures, almost mocking them through dreamlike distortion. Do you see a hopeful note in the piece, or is it purely a critique? Editor: It’s mostly critical to me. I’d say this artwork leaves us with questions about how the past continues to haunt the present. Curator: I agree. Sandberg successfully layers cultural memory, revealing the enduring impact of inherited values on human behavior, a sobering reflection, indeed.