Le seuil 2018

Curator: Today we’re considering Carlos Sablón’s "Le Seuil", painted in 2018, a surrealist oil on canvas piece that defies easy categorization. What strikes you upon first viewing? Editor: The dreamlike quality is quite immediate, and I must say the almost haunting blend of realism with utterly fantastical elements provokes a disquieting mood. Is this threshold, or a dead end? Curator: The title is rather indicative I would suggest, referencing ‘the threshold.’ Let us focus our attention on how Sablón positions this liminal space, creating a potent symbol using color and form. Notice how the light seems to emanate not just from the landscape viewed through the window, but almost from within the subject herself. Editor: Indeed. Considering the history of representing women at thresholds or in doorways—frequently signifying moments of decision or transition –the flowers interwoven in the hair seem almost like a contemporary adornment and a defiant challenge. She literally embodies a kind of disruptive feminine energy. Curator: That interplay, in formal terms, contributes to a captivating dialogue within the artwork itself. Her tattoos and the lions flanking the scene – each a clearly deliberate structural choice that encourages comparative readings of stability and the transience of nature itself. The meticulous construction points us to layers beyond pure representation. Editor: I would agree there is that. I'm also prompted to look at this piece beyond formal boundaries. The subject has agency; her tattoos point at defiance and transformation as powerful statements and counter to classical symbolism and representations of femininity and nature. We must understand those as claims. Curator: A crucial point that further enriches the dynamic tension between these seemingly disparate visual elements. Thank you. Editor: Thank you, I think this piece, as a modern statement, asks viewers to think about individual agency.