Medusa 2011

Carmen Delaco painted 'Medusa' with oils, and what strikes me is the physical act of painting itself, the wrestling and layering. I imagine Delaco, brush in hand, circling, building, and scraping away. The color palette, dominated by earthy tones, creates a sense of something ancient, unearthed. The snakes, rendered with such visceral energy, twist and writhe. I feel the weight of the myth, the pain and the power. I wonder, what was Delaco thinking as she painted those snakes, each a symbol of transformation and fear? Perhaps she was exploring the monstrous feminine, the shadow self. There is something primal at play, an unraveling of the surface to reveal a deeper truth. This painting speaks to me of the ongoing conversation between artists across time, each adding their voice to the chorus.