In an Exotic Store 1994

Curator: Before us hangs Maria Bozoky’s “In an Exotic Store,” a mixed-media drawing created in 1994. Editor: Well, that title seems like a bit of misdirection. I’m getting more of a back-alley pawnshop vibe. It's raw and intense; there's an unresolved tension emanating from the overall composition and particularly the expression of the female figure. Curator: The title leads us to examine, not the objectified 'exotic' so frequently consumed in visual culture, but instead, a space seemingly on the periphery. Bozoky has expertly combined ink and other media to define the planes of the figure and, even more subtly, the spatial relationship with her companion, a rather subdued simian. Editor: Subdued is one word for it. Trapped, maybe? Or burdened. Notice how the creature mirrors the tilt of the woman’s head but carries a posture of resignation. I'd argue the success of this work relies upon its formal instability. The line work isn't particularly assured. Curator: On the contrary. I see in those sweeping strokes, rendered rapidly and expressively, a conscious disruption of formalist convention. Bozoky purposefully avoids clean lines, instead exploiting the inherent qualities of ink wash to generate mood. Consider how the limited color palette is essential to directing focus, drawing our eye to the bright whiteness of the central figure. Editor: I concede that this restricted chromatic range yields significant visual economy, allowing us to discern tonal values very rapidly. Yet, the sketch-like character of the drawing also generates the work's affect. Look how these combined visual qualities position the portrait within a lineage of post-modern critiques. It defies a static reading, inviting constant re-evaluation of character. The "exotic" here is the very notion of fixing identity. Curator: I agree entirely. This work certainly demonstrates the protean power of mixed-media drawing. The subversion of established aesthetic codes forces a re-imagining of familiar visual paradigms. Editor: And invites us to reassess not only how we depict, but how we interpret the ever-shifting world around us.