IA AAEAO EAO 2013

Editor: Giorgia Valli's "IA AAEAO EAO," created in 2013 with acrylic paint, is a striking image! I find myself drawn to its almost ghostly quality, a stillness in the midst of what feels like an impending change. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a fascinating convergence of symbolic languages. The skeletal tree, so meticulously rendered, speaks to cycles of life and death – a visual memento mori that's been with us since antiquity. What about the bird – a long-tailed bird poised on a branch. Does it trigger a specific association for you, perhaps a feeling of hope? Editor: Well, yes, the bird feels like it adds life to the picture. Almost a symbolic rebirth among those branches. It offers some peace to the skeletal branches. Curator: Consider then the enduring symbolism of birds as messengers, traversing earthly and spiritual realms. The landscape is more abstract but can be seen as part of this journey as well. How do the muted greens and grays influence the overall emotional impact, do you think? Editor: The tones certainly amplify that feeling of stillness and quiet contemplation; that maybe connects to memory. Like an image fading from recollection, even if you wish to remember certain times or events in your life. It creates a nostalgic mood. Curator: Nostalgia is powerful precisely because it blends personal and cultural memory. Artists will frequently work with symbols, especially landscape settings, to reach back into a history of art to create something unique. Do you see in this particular scene echoes of earlier painters? Editor: Now that you mention it, I'm thinking maybe the Pre-Raphaelites with their symbolic, highly-detailed approach? Thanks, this helped me view this work with completely fresh eyes. Curator: And, in turn, considering your ideas is something I’ll carry forward to the next viewing.