Lepus Baroque 

Curator: Right in front of us is Melissa Hefferlin's work, "Lepus Baroque." She works with watercolor and gouache to deliver a composition full of color and whimsy. Editor: It's wonderfully tactile; the arrangement, the juxtaposition of patterns and objects. I love the lighting in here, especially. Is it the angle of light or something about the texture that pulls you in first? Curator: Definitely texture! I’m particularly interested in Hefferlin's labor; how her material exploration, specifically her technique, complicates distinctions between art and craft. How the means of production enhance, or distract, from the artistic concept of fairy-painting is interesting. Editor: Interesting. I'm drawn to the still life setup; the blue goblet next to the bronze vessel with a ribbon and that impossibly perfect feather... how do those choices in subject enhance her baroque exploration? Curator: In my understanding, the selection and arrangement speak to consumption. What kind of social setting calls for peacock feathers? What does it mean to position them next to art supplies and children's fairytales? Editor: Precisely! Consider the vase. It is classical. But it is filled with the contemporary; its elegant shape echoes the contours of other objects, but each with their own semiotic fingerprint and purpose. Note the subtle shadows, too. It seems there is a nod to photorealism, but the color treatment hints to a fantastical reading. Curator: The objects depicted create a clear depiction of the division of labor here. Everything on this table points back to class divides. Editor: I appreciate that angle and you are absolutely correct. It is tempting, however, to delve too deeply into outside context instead of appreciating the internal harmony created through the lines and layering. The balance that is obtained, even with a nod to baroque-style ornamentation. Curator: Indeed! It’s a thought-provoking composition that challenges the boundaries of how art intertwines with cultural and societal production. Editor: "Lepus Baroque" leaves me wondering what it means to apply classical ideas through the perspective of contemporary society... very fun!