Mona 1 

Editor: This is *Mona 1* by Vincent Xeus, an oil painting rendered with impasto techniques. There’s a familiar figure suggested, but also a really energetic surface of layered paint. What are your initial thoughts when you see this painting? Curator: I see a conversation, a dialogue, between art historical representation and the active hand of the artist. The very title forces us to consider its relationship to the ‘original’ Mona Lisa, that icon of Western art. What happens when we deconstruct such a recognizable image, liberating it from its own iconic status through bold, tactile strokes? Editor: That’s interesting – a liberation. In what way? Curator: Consider the cultural weight the Mona Lisa carries: ideas about beauty, femininity, the male gaze…Xeus's Mona 1, through its fragmented form, seems to challenge those fixed notions. It's almost a post-structuralist take, breaking down established meanings. What do you make of the color palette? Editor: It’s mostly monochrome, with this tiny dab of red. It is the only real focal point. Curator: Exactly! That single dab of red might be a signifier. Perhaps it’s hinting at a breaking point, a subtle rupture in this familiar image. It provokes a consideration about the role of colour within cultural and gender constructs of representation. It certainly is much more complex that a first glance reveals. Editor: I never would have thought of the historical and feminist context within such a small portrait! Curator: These works invite us to unpack and question everything we thought we knew. Art is not just about the aesthetic; it's a reflection of the power dynamics, history, and cultural narratives.