Motherland 2020

Curator: This oil painting, rendered in 2020, is titled *Motherland* by Bo Bartlett. What are your first impressions? Editor: She seems burdened. It's the figure's pose and weary expression, of course, but also how the flat, dry field amplifies her isolation. Curator: Isolation is a potent concept when considering contemporary issues of ageism and representation, particularly of women. Who is deemed worthy of visibility, and what narratives are centered? The artist gives us an elderly woman, seemingly vulnerable, yet also undeniably present. Editor: And defiant! She's not just any elderly woman; there's symbolic power woven into her image. Look at the shiny pointed hat. It resembles a wizard's cap or a tin-foil hat to ward off signals, almost suggesting hidden knowledge. The hat connects to various tropes—from protection to eccentricity. Curator: Exactly! She demands a re-evaluation of power structures, subverting stereotypical representations. The very title *Motherland* links the figure to ancestry, place, and belonging. Considering Bartlett's style—contemporary figurative—do you think that the details of the garment contribute? Editor: Definitely. The stripes and color hint at youthful joy, clashing deliberately with her visible aging and physical vulnerability. But then what does the wizard-like cap refer to? Curator: Well, we should recall that the contemporary label situates *Motherland* within present anxieties and dialogues about identity, truth, and power. Maybe it suggests the older generation processes knowledge, authority, and information from new and innovative places and maybe those ideas seem a bit outlandish for those who lack age or wisdom. Editor: Right, that could reframe vulnerability into a kind of subversive agency. Considering these interweaving motifs, it offers layers that encourage deeper thinking about societal norms, identity, and perhaps what cultural memory can represent. Curator: Absolutely. Bartlett encourages us to question the assumed roles of marginalized figures and recognize the wealth of perspectives they hold. Editor: This was a welcome exploration, especially given the current political landscapes in which older people are sometimes forgotten and/or neglected. Curator: Indeed, our discussion reframed how an overlooked subject of aging—often depicted as feeble—embodies fortitude.