The White Rabbit 

Editor: So, this is "The White Rabbit" by Charles Blackman. It’s an acrylic painting that definitely gives off a…whimsical, almost unsettling vibe, especially with those binoculars. What do you make of it? Curator: The binoculars are key, aren't they? Throughout history, the rabbit, especially the white rabbit, often acts as a guide, drawing us into hidden worlds. But Blackman places technology in its hand. Editor: Technology? So you’re saying it's about seeing or perceiving something new? Curator: Exactly! It makes us question the reliability of perception and the influence of technology on our understanding of reality, which are prevalent themes in modernity, not just in children's stories. Notice how the shadowy brushstrokes contrast with the naive, almost pop art rendering of the rabbit. Editor: That tension really does give it an unnerving quality. How much of that would have been intentional, do you think? Curator: I'd argue all of it. It is likely deliberate. It creates visual disruption to mirror our internal experience and challenges as we try to create meaning from the visual world around us. What memories or meanings did it stir in you? Editor: Definitely a feeling of being caught between childhood innocence and a more complicated, slightly darker reality. Thanks, that really shifts how I see the whole piece. Curator: And that tension is the beauty of symbolism isn’t it? How the echoes of the past still vibrate within us and affect the now.