Birds of a Feather 

Curator: Scott Gustafson presents "Birds of a Feather." The medium appears to be oil paint on canvas. It's a gathering, perhaps a formal gathering, of chickens. Editor: My immediate reaction? What a delightful exercise in anthropomorphism. The chickens have such expressive faces; they're practically human! I'm immediately curious about the choices in their plumage and posture. Curator: Well, let’s consider the formal elements. The artist masterfully employs a chiaroscuro effect, emphasizing certain faces while letting others recede into shadow. Observe the strategic placement of light that accentuates texture of their feathers. Do you notice the tonal shifts? Editor: I do, but I am far more interested in the materiality of chicken farming at the time. Was the artist considering how labor practices impacted the breeds available, their diets, their health? What grains are they consuming, judging from the tonality of their feathers, and from what kind of feed were the paints fabricated, and where were the pigments sourced from? Curator: You propose a very earthly reading, but I suggest a purely aesthetic plane for analysis, the rhythmic distribution of shapes, the interplay between realism and stylized elements. This piece strikes a chord reminiscent of classic genre painting, elevating a barnyard scene into high art. The artist employs color to create depth and suggest a narrative, a conversation even. It teases the viewer with suggestions, hinting at what could be extrapolated and is therefore very intentional. Editor: Agreed, I think we’re getting somewhere now with materiality—Gustafson consciously manipulated the texture, mimicking Old Masters’ glazing to imbue a sense of depth, not to mention humor. We can see it's not *actually* an old painting through that humorous twist of genres. Curator: Precisely. Its strength lies in the way Gustafson subverts expectations, blending familiarity with painterly expertise. A dance of composition and technique all meant for each other. Editor: So yes, the materiality then facilitates a larger conversation around labor, breeds, farming, paint, which culminate into how chickens relate to humans in this genre painting by a 21st century artist, and maybe it works! Thanks for pointing it out. Curator: Thank you. Considering this from your lens offers, I must admit, offers yet another reading and texture of interpretations!