Head First 2006

Editor: Here we have Emma Amos's "Head First" from 2006, a mixed media collage and painting. The figures appear to be falling or floating, a little disorienting and dreamlike. How do you interpret the arrangement of these figures in this piece? Curator: Ah, Emma Amos, she always had a way of turning the world on its head, didn’t she? The figures aren't simply falling; I think they’re diving into identity, flipping through layers of experience. It makes me wonder, doesn’t it, if Amos is inviting us to consider how we navigate a world that often feels upside down? The patterns in the border create a dizzying, swirling feeling. Editor: So it’s like a symbolic freefall? What about that tapestry element hanging at the bottom? Curator: That's the heart of it! The tapestry, almost like a mask or a separate persona, suggests that there are always hidden aspects of ourselves, dangling, perhaps a little vulnerable, for the world to see. Maybe it suggests we never truly see ourselves "whole." What feelings does the tapestry evoke in you? Editor: It feels very personal, almost like a childhood doll, or a memory. All those patterns really vibrate together, too! Curator: Yes! And Emma loved using that technique! The piece isn't just a visual feast; it’s an emotional journey. Her juxtapositions are almost jazzy! Playing off abstraction and representation! I love the idea of seeing it that way. Editor: I didn’t catch all that before! Now I see so many interconnected ideas! Curator: Art has its secrets and hidden depth. We must give it our full attention to witness them. Thanks for helping reveal another little part of it.