When it’s complicated 

Editor: We are looking at Fernanda Suarez’s painting "When it’s complicated," which appears to be rendered in acrylics. The figure and snake seem to be in conflict but I cannot really pinpoint why; it seems complicated, as the title says. How would you interpret this piece? Curator: I observe that the painting employs a limited color palette, primarily focusing on contrasting hues of red, blue, and muted skin tones. Note how the smoothness of the serpent and skin juxtapose the impasto and visible marks that suggest texture in the hair and shadow regions. Can you comment on the interplay between these compositional elements? Editor: I see it too; there's a smoothness versus a sort of visual agitation, but it's mostly limited to color and contour, it's as if the forms and surface almost disappear into the deep background. Curator: Precisely. The composition leads our eye to circle around the snake back up the subject’s penetrating gaze, locking us into her self-possession. What do you notice about the figure’s relationship to the serpent, compositionally speaking? Editor: Well, the snake appears to coil protectively. The overall impression I get from it, that tension you spoke of, might be heightened by the fact it’s also sort of a constraint for her; also I realize how, although smooth the serpent form is in fact quite simple. Curator: It seems there is a certain balance created in the opposition between restraint and liberation, don't you think? The artist masterfully utilizes visual tensions within a static medium. Editor: That's a helpful observation; looking closely reveals a tension arising not only from subject matter but also purely formal relations! Thanks for this enlightening perspective.