Crow Crown 

Curator: Today, we're looking at "Crow Crown" by Thomas Blackshear. I find this acrylic portrait just mesmerizing. It hits you right in the soul, doesn’t it? Editor: Immediately. There’s such an unusual…seriousness. Is it just me, or does the texture of the crow seem so much heavier than the face itself? As if those feathers could weigh him down into the earth. Curator: Oh, absolutely! Blackshear’s work often does that – making the symbolic almost tactile. The crown of the crow is not only visually heavy with dense feathers; there’s a real weight to it. Symbolically, think of it like this—perhaps it suggests responsibility, a burden carried for his people? Editor: I’m drawn to the potential readings embedded within the use of acrylic on canvas. This medium—traditionally, perhaps, seen as 'lesser' than oil—allows a remarkable interplay of textures, setting up an interesting dynamic regarding what we classify as valuable in the canon. Also, the colors…that very specific teal-blue within the crow feathers is almost iridescent! Curator: See? I knew you’d zero in on that magic too. Blackshear’s use of color feels almost dreamlike to me. This painting becomes like a vision—a merging of earthly representation with something deeply spiritual. The way light touches the subject’s cheek, the colors chosen for the beads and ornamentation; they all sing a silent song of history and myth. I almost feel as if I should keep my voice down to avoid disturbing something precious. Editor: I am interested in these material tensions—high versus low—it also sparks thoughts around appropriation and representation. Who is granted the right to depict whom, using what? How can a careful use of traditional materials subvert expected outcomes of the artwork? Curator: Exactly—it’s about respectfully portraying a cultural icon and then, using contemporary means and personal artistry to layer the artwork with meanings accessible to both insiders and outsiders of the represented culture. "Crow Crown" prompts so many essential questions, especially concerning the space between the seen and unseen, the felt and unfelt...it really gets under your skin! Editor: Under the skin, indeed. This certainly makes me want to reconsider the implications that materials and processes wield—often unseen—on themes of labor and access to knowledge and what the value of that is today. Curator: For me, this serves as a strong reminder about how artistry is this ongoing conversation—how each painting becomes its own complex little story waiting to be not just seen but genuinely understood, on both sides.