Will Eat You to Make You Mine 2009

Editor: This is Samira Eskandarfar's 2009 oil painting, "Will Eat You to Make You Mine." It’s a very striking portrait, the gaze is intense and slightly unsettling. The birds above her head feel symbolic, but I am not sure how they tie to the text. What is your perspective? Curator: My initial reading stems from a careful analysis of the visual syntax. The stark composition, bisected by the subject's gaze, forces an immediate tension. The flattened perspective minimizes depth, directing our focus to the surface – the materiality of the oil paint itself and the formal relationships between the figures. Do you notice the geometric rigidity? Editor: Yes, the checkered background reinforces that sense of a constructed reality. And the birds, though realistically rendered, seem to exist more as symbols than living creatures. Curator: Precisely. Observe how the artist manipulates color to establish hierarchy. The bright yellow bird, poised and self-contained, contrasts sharply with the open-mouthed, grey fledgling. Consider the semiotics of color – yellow as a signifier of intellect, perhaps, versus grey indicating dependence? The fish hook and worm act as an overt device… How do you see the interaction between them? Editor: It looks like the yellow bird wants the worm, while the fledging simply wants to be fed. They are both on top of the head of the woman who looks incredibly worried, stressed. Is the relationship of the birds commenting on internal human power struggles? Curator: I find that this painting exemplifies a skillful deployment of formal elements. By attending to these elements of color, shape, line, and texture we uncover potential meanings of internal conflicts. I was driven to that meaning without reference to outside context. What do you think now? Editor: Seeing how all these visual choices support the overall message clarifies the symbolic aspect for me. Focusing on color and structure provided a solid analytical path!