Mentality 

Editor: So, here we have "Mentality," a mixed-media drawing by Cassidy Rae Marietta. There's an anatomical head in profile, but it’s all… decorated. I'm immediately struck by the sort of tension between the organic shapes inside the head and the rigid geometric patterns around it. What jumps out at you? Curator: It's funny you say tension, because for me it’s a marriage! A visual symphony of our internal landscapes expressed in ornamental, almost folkloric terms. Notice how the brain is rendered, not as a cold scientific diagram, but as this lush, almost blooming entity. It's like the artist is saying, "Our minds are gardens, cultivated by thought and experience". How does that thought strike you? Editor: A garden… That’s beautiful. So the patterns, those aren’t just decoration, but kind of… fertilization? Curator: Precisely! Or even the walls of our garden! Think of the "portrait" as less a physical likeness and more a map, charting the intricate terrain of consciousness. It seems to explore the notion that our thoughts, emotions, and memories, while intensely personal, are also part of this larger, shared human experience. And have you considered what era could be inspiration for this work? The art of Hilma af Klint comes to mind as perhaps similar Editor: I haven’t considered the work of that artist! I can really see that there is something there, thank you for putting me on that trail! . Curator: That link could lead us all the way back to medieval tapestry art, with its heavy use of both ornament and storytelling Editor: Absolutely, seeing those layers opens up so many new perspectives. What seemed decorative before, suddenly speaks! Thanks so much! Curator: My pleasure. I love how art reveals new depths with each shared viewpoint, don't you? It shows just how deeply human perspectives matter.