Alcohol You Later 

Editor: Tania Rivilis's oil painting, "Alcohol You Later," feels intensely personal. The heavy brushstrokes and the way the figure shields their eyes give off a vibe of… regret, maybe? What catches your eye when you look at this? Curator: Ah, regret, or perhaps simply the weight of the world, momentarily too bright. The hand, so vividly red, acts almost as a defiant shield, doesn’t it? It’s like a primal scream translated into pigment. It reminds me of Caravaggio, not in style precisely, but in that raw, unfiltered human experience. I'm also intrigued by the limited color palette—how the oranges and yellows seem to almost consume the figure. Do you get a sense of being overwhelmed? Editor: Absolutely! The warm colors do create this feeling of being trapped, almost claustrophobic. And the single open eye seems to be peering out as if wanting to escape. Do you think that was the artist's intention? Curator: Intention, my dear, is a slippery eel in the art world! It's less about knowing *exactly* what the artist intended and more about what the artwork evokes in us. Perhaps the artist, like the figure in the painting, was shielding themselves from something, revealing just a sliver of vulnerability through that one open eye. Or perhaps, this "Alcohol You Later" is a self-deprecating quip by the artist about having partied too hard the night before, eh? Editor: So it's like the painting is a mirror, reflecting back whatever the viewer brings to it? Curator: Precisely! It’s a dance, a dialogue between the artwork and ourselves. And isn’t that the best kind of art, the kind that sticks with you, that makes you think and feel long after you’ve walked away? Editor: Definitely! It’s made me look at portraiture in a whole new light. Thanks for sharing your perspective.