Elsa 

Curator: Let's discuss "Elsa" by Fernanda Suarez. This work utilizes mixed media, presenting a fresh take on a familiar character through a portrait. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the contrast. It’s both familiar and jarring. The digital art rendering clashes pleasantly with a very tangible and present gaze, quite compelling. Curator: The artist seems to play on our pre-conceived notions of the Disney princess, inserting her into contemporary visual culture. Note the modern clothing against the backdrop of what seems a classic magical setting. Editor: Exactly. It raises questions about value—what makes “fine art” versus character design? The materiality hints at acrylics and perhaps digital manipulation; It blurs those lines between the hand-made and the mass-produced, especially how consumer products influence contemporary representation. Curator: And it really engages with the politics of imagery we see circulated through these modern interpretations. How Disney itself uses "princess" archetypes. Suarez is engaging and perhaps subverting the notion of feminine power, right? Editor: Precisely. The intense, modern makeup and the subtle but determined look challenge any simple reading of "princess." Also consider her method; the distribution of art, particularly portraiture through social media. This democratization reframes both accessibility and authority in art production. Curator: Absolutely, there’s something about her direct stare. What the impact is on viewers confronting a celebrity icon represented in this hyper-real, very tangible style? Does that open possibilities of critique? Editor: Or celebration. Depends where the individual’s point-of-view. But that tactility, realness within the frame pushes one towards a tactile appreciation of the skill and a reflection on how we encounter our icons, our representations today. A nice tension and complexity. Curator: Yes, something very contemporary about how Suarez manipulates this cultural icon to spark a dialogue about art and how imagery is re-framed in our lives. Editor: Indeed. It is quite refreshing to observe a dialogue between popular character depictions and discussions of production, craftsmanship, and ultimately the evolving place of representation in visual culture.