Immune to Her Charms 2015

Editor: Sandra Chevrier’s mixed-media piece from 2015, "Immune to Her Charms," presents a stunning portrait where a woman's face is overlaid with fragmented comic book imagery. There’s almost a haunting quality to it, like a beautiful mask concealing something more complex. What do you make of this combination? Curator: You know, when I look at Chevrier’s work, I feel like she's handing us a looking glass into the modern female experience. The watercolor portrait itself has such delicate vulnerability, doesn't it? But then BAM! Those fierce, dynamic comic book fragments disrupt that traditional beauty. Editor: Exactly! The contrast is striking. It's like a battle. Curator: It is. Perhaps Chevrier is playing with the idea of the superhero persona—this outwardly strong image that women often feel pressured to maintain—versus the sensitive soul underneath. It makes me wonder, what are we really seeing? Strength? Vulnerability? Or something in between? And what does it mean to be "immune to her charms," is this some kind of personal motto? I just adore the narrative ambiguity. Editor: So, is she suggesting that there’s a hidden strength *because* of the vulnerability, not in spite of it? Like the comic book shards are layers of armor and emotion? Curator: Precisely! It makes one contemplate that delicate balance of interiority, the stories we carry within ourselves. These fragments could also stand as societal expectations. They become almost like a sort of fractured mirror reflecting those external pressures back. Editor: I love how this piece takes something familiar—superhero comics—and twists it into a deeply personal and reflective statement about womanhood. Curator: Yes, it's a reminder that even behind the strongest facades, there are stories unfolding, vulnerabilities simmering, and hidden battles raging.