Alice 

Curator: Here we have Charles Blackman’s oil painting, “Alice.” The painting conjures an almost theatrical stage with dreamlike characters inhabiting a skewed perspective. Editor: My initial reaction is unease. The scale is unnerving. Alice is rendered with elongated legs that seem to defy gravity, while the looming rabbit and cramped room provoke a sense of claustrophobia and disorientation. Curator: Absolutely, there’s a deliberately disquieting quality to it. Blackman often explores themes of alienation and the precariousness of childhood. While undated, the painting shares aesthetic DNA with his celebrated Schoolgirl series, similarly evoking themes of vulnerability and psychological complexity. Editor: Vulnerability is a key word here. I notice the open door at the very edge of the canvas – barely a suggestion. Is that escape, or another form of entrapment? And what's the story with that unsettling bottle? There's a darkness simmering beneath the surface of the whimsical. Curator: The influence of surrealism is unmistakable, as seen in the dreamlike, somewhat unsettling juxtapositions, but I find a profound emotional honesty at play. The raw application of paint contributes to this effect; see how the colors and textures articulate feeling rather than strict representational accuracy. The paint is applied expressively and evokes an intangible world just on the other side of the familiar. Editor: I'd agree. I find myself returning to Alice's expression— blank, seemingly unaffected, and isolated from the unfolding events around her. How interesting that this piece invites contemplation of the character within and her context to societal and fictional references about her figure. It's not a pleasant scene, but I am certainly drawn in. Curator: Ultimately, I see the power of art that continues to hold ambiguity while portraying universally felt emotions. Editor: Absolutely. The surreal and emotionally complex imagery prompts us to ponder and question our perceptions of both childhood and art, its intentions, and ourselves.