The Fool 2020

Zoe Hawk made this painting, "The Fool," sometime in the 20th or 21st century. It depicts a young woman, reminiscent of a scout, standing on a precipice with her arms outstretched. The title immediately suggests a connection to the tarot. In that context, the fool doesn't indicate stupidity but innocence, freedom, and the beginning of a journey. Hawk seems to be playing with the symbolism of youth movements and the ways in which society and institutions shape the ideals of young people. The figure has a kind of blind faith in her stance that makes you question whether she is about to fly, or fall. If this image is a social commentary, is it about female empowerment or social control? To fully understand this artwork, a historian would need to research the artist’s other works and statements, as well as the cultural context of youth movements at the time the painting was made. The meaning of art is contingent on these social factors.