Preparing to Sound the Alarm 

Curator: What strikes me most is the sheer anticipation radiating from the subject—this intense moment before action. The piece is called "Preparing to Sound the Alarm" by Thomas Blackshear. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: The gaze, intense and watchful, holds such a strong sense of responsibility. The colour palette, quite muted, heightens the impact, it focuses the attention, there’s no escaping this imperative. Curator: Exactly. I'm drawn to the symbolic weight of the horn itself, polished and prepared for the sounding. What do you read into its presence? Editor: Well, culturally speaking, horns, or shofars as they’re sometimes known, are powerful instruments across various faiths and traditions. Signifying warnings, calls to action, and moments of profound change. This angel seems almost burdened by the task. Curator: Beautifully put. The positioning too suggests a kind of hesitation, doesn’t it? Holding it firmly, but not quite yet raised to the lips. The wings, so voluminous, amplify the sense of a messenger, caught in this critical pause. I suppose this portrait raises questions around power and responsibility? Editor: Precisely. Consider who receives the warning, how it’s received, what transformations follow? The beauty of this artwork lies, at least for me, in how Blackshear renders all that uncertainty in this quiet but evocative scene. We often think of divine messengers delivering unequivocal missives. Here, doubt, consideration are key aspects. Curator: Absolutely. The realism—the fine details—amplifies the emotional gravity, compelling viewers to contemplate the weight of impending choices. It’s as though we, the viewers, are drawn in as participants in this moment. Editor: Indeed, Blackshear uses a very straightforward and traditional medium to capture anything but a one-dimensional portrayal of something that we can only imagine. The soft light from above enhances that emotional subtlety of someone facing up to challenging responsibilities. A lot to think about. Curator: Agreed. It feels like Blackshear uses the angelic form not to distance us but to allow us greater insight into human anxieties. Editor: Quite, leaving me contemplative of just what alarms are necessary and timely in the world right now.