Snortin’ Whiskey – Drinkin’ Cocaine” 2010

Curator: Dave MacDowell created this visually arresting acrylic painting titled "Snortin’ Whiskey – Drinkin’ Cocaine” in 2010. Editor: Wow, a sensory overload! My first thought is "texture"—there’s so much detail crammed in, from the city skyline to the figure's clothing. It almost feels like a collage, demanding close inspection. Curator: It absolutely layers iconography to probe some very uncomfortable aspects of society. Think about how the "Baby Momma Drama" headpiece frames the subject's face, or the brand names floating around. What narratives do you read into those? Editor: Right, the layering speaks to a constant accumulation of visual culture—drugs and capitalism being manufactured. Then the "Baby Momma Drama" crown – I immediately key in on it being a critique of motherhood as labor and branding, even. How does the chosen medium add to this dialogue for you? Curator: Acrylics provide a great degree of blending, a characteristic this artist employs in interesting ways here. But in this context of the hyperreal it amplifies the way these different signifiers collide and conflate ideas about desire and control. There's even TNT on the ground plane, threatening an explosion! Editor: Indeed, I read that volatility, almost a forced proximity between high and low cultural icons, which can be read throughout the history of image consumption. Those syringes on the guitar certainly raise an alarm on accessibility. What did MacDowell wish to impart here? Curator: MacDowell does not give any easy answers, nor a distinct moral edict. But placing recognizable brands within an otherwise bleak setting calls us to understand them beyond simple consumption. These items take on new meanings here. Editor: That checks out! I came here expecting a gritty urban commentary, but walked away seeing commodities deconstructed through color and iconography. Curator: Absolutely, seeing as these narratives are inherently social! Even the concept of identity plays a role as commodity here. The medium gives material substance to otherwise hard-to-understand constructs.