Godiva 2018

Curator: Let's turn our attention to Camilla d'Errico’s "Godiva" created in 2018. This piece, made with acrylic paint, beautifully blends pop-surrealism with a unique figuration. Editor: Oh, wow! It has this immediate…melting sweetness? It's fleshy, but with these gorgeous flows of color, and then bam! A swarm of butterflies. It's dreamy, a little bit disquieting, maybe even a touch sad. Curator: Absolutely. D'Errico frequently addresses themes of identity and vulnerability, situating them within a modern framework that draws from surrealism. The choice to title it "Godiva" is key. In British folklore, Lady Godiva rode naked through Coventry to protest her husband’s oppressive taxation of the poor. The name automatically lends a political dimension related to defiance and visibility. Editor: I love that connection. Makes you rethink the figure’s self-embrace. It's almost protective. And the 'melting' effect, does that play into a distortion of traditional beauty standards, or something more? It’s very contemporary but layered with art historical references, as you pointed out with Godiva. Curator: It could also suggest fluidity, even gender fluidity. The butterflies might symbolize transformation, freedom, perhaps even a shedding of expectations or restrictions placed upon her by society. There’s something deliberately challenging here, but rendered in incredibly appealing aesthetics that create tension. Editor: I think that push-and-pull is why I keep coming back to the melancholy vibe. The colors are vibrant, yes, but the pose seems inward, contemplative. It's a kind of surreal fairytale, where even empowered figures carry a certain weight, you know? It resonates with my own experiences navigating identity in a hyper-visible world. Curator: Precisely, the work becomes a meditation on navigating vulnerability while embracing individual expression, drawing power from both historical narratives and our modern moment. Editor: It gives us something to hold on to as we confront this cultural push-and-pull in all of our lives, I love when art manages that. It hits different, every time I look. Curator: It certainly does. "Godiva," for me, highlights art’s incredible ability to create conversations about self-expression. Editor: Absolutely! I walk away from this piece thinking and feeling in a completely new way.