Demonatrix 

Curator: Allison Reimold's drawing, "Demonatrix," presents us with a compelling image. The figure’s strange symmetry immediately arrests the gaze. Editor: Yes, I’m struck by how meticulously rendered this drawing is. The textures of skin, hair, and the whip—you can practically feel their weight and presence on the paper. I’m immediately curious about Reimold’s choice of drawing materials and process. Curator: The faces evoke a certain kind of timeless feminine power dynamic, don't you think? This triple-faced figure, bearing both the tattooed visage and the theatrical masks, echoes familiar archetypes of women throughout myth and history: the maiden, the mother, and the crone perhaps? Editor: I think you might be reaching to those familiar categories. We also should consider the work's place within a digital sphere. This artist sells and showcases this work as a print online; so while drawing remains an analog practice, its contemporary iteration finds much of its value as reproduction. That certainly adds an interesting layer to thinking through the image's erotic power. Curator: I hadn’t considered it within that digital context of proliferation. Interesting point. Even in isolation though, there’s an unsettling nature in the combination of control and vulnerability, strength and subjugation. Those blank faces evoke Medusa-like horror as well. Editor: Absolutely, it’s not just the representational content but how it’s made—how those graphite lines create form and texture—that drives the disturbing mood of the image. The way the whip winds around her suggests both constraint and the potential for forceful action. There's an undeniable tension built into both subject and material. Curator: Yes, and the braiding together of strength and performativity feels critical to unlocking its meanings. I find myself reflecting on artifice. The "Demonatrix" is both adorned and exposed, masked and revealed. Editor: I'll be curious to explore this piece and the artist's process further as this exhibit develops. Thanks for opening up some crucial threads that need consideration for interpretation!