Born Again 

Editor: This is Dave Macdowell’s “Born Again,” made with mixed media, including oil and acrylic paint. I’m immediately struck by the contrasting images of a beautiful woman and the skeletal baby she’s holding. How do you interpret this work? Curator: That contrast is key. It plunges us directly into complex narratives around motherhood, mortality, and power. How might the artist be using the traditional symbolism of "vanitas" to critique contemporary culture’s obsession with youth and beauty? Consider the power dynamics at play: the adult, rendered in soft hues, versus the skeletal child crowned as a king. Editor: The crown feels very intentional, but I’m not sure what to make of it. Curator: The crown complicates our understanding of vulnerability and strength. It makes me wonder, what is Macdowell saying about inherited power? Does this 'rebirth' represent a cyclical perpetuation of social hierarchies, particularly concerning gender and class? Think about historical representations of women and children, often idealized as symbols of purity and innocence. Editor: So, is the artist subverting these ideas of motherhood by juxtaposing it with decay and power? Curator: Precisely. Macdowell uses pop-surrealism to challenge the very narratives society often tells about female identity and motherhood. The "born again" motif then becomes a site of contestation – a place where tradition and subversion clash. Editor: It's definitely more than just a pretty picture. Curator: Exactly! It pushes us to actively interrogate the assumptions that underpin representations of the maternal figure and challenge dominant ideologies about gender, power, and rebirth. Editor: This piece is disturbing, but in a way that's forced me to think more critically about its social meaning. Curator: I hope this interpretation offers you another way of approaching portraiture. Thank you for lending me your point of view on this piece.