Butterfly Effect 

Curator: What a dreamy scene. It reminds me of old mythologies, full of yearning and the weight of destiny. Editor: There’s something striking in how the material of this acrylic painting simulates the effect of classic romanticism, like a nostalgic nod. Curator: Exactly. The painting is entitled "Butterfly Effect," created by Michael Parkes. You see this allegorical scene featuring a woman drawing a bow aiming what looks like a butterfly? Editor: I do, and my immediate impression is of Artemis. Yet, she is posed rather gently; not hunting, but poised with intent. Also, I notice the rendering feels almost… manufactured, despite the ethereal quality it tries to convey. Curator: I think it's crucial to explore what her aim symbolizes here, this choice of a butterfly specifically. Given the title, are we meant to consider the possible repercussions of even the smallest action? Or the effect on this single creature's future? Editor: Or could the choice of acrylic, over traditional oil or fresco for example, speak to questions of mass reproduction and artistic distribution of the 20th and 21st century. Her target being ephemeral as an effect of globalization. Curator: That’s an interesting reading! Perhaps the choice of the greyhound by her side might give us further understanding: they usually signal aristocratic power; who benefits and suffers from the system? Editor: Good eye on the dog! And the labor of acrylic versus oil paint... acrylics democratize the medium by its efficiency in labor and sourcing...it makes me wonder about Parkes’s intent there as well. What labor choices speak to this allegory of a single choice creating wide change? Curator: Well, it certainly forces us to consider agency, choice, and accountability. The cultural weight of classic myths, and if one believes that society is doomed to always repeat them. Does power belong to the elite only, as hinted by the dog? Can anyone truly shift the scales, as hinted by the butterfly, and with what means at our disposal? Editor: Indeed, "Butterfly Effect" invites an inquiry of our means as a tool for great effect in our choices, as creators, and more literally by the labor involved in acrylic paintings as such. I'm so curious how each visitor engages with it from this point of view. Curator: And perhaps reflects on the broader impact of personal actions, considering both our cultural heritage and the current societal structure we live in today. It’s an incredibly compelling conversation piece, truly.