Gravity 

Curator: This is "Gravity," a digital portrait by Sarah Joncas. Editor: Immediately, I get this… ethereally burdened vibe. That full moon looming in the background paired with the almost mournful expression? There’s a weight there, a pensive sort of gravity, even, pulling her gaze upward. Curator: It's interesting you mention that, because Joncas's work often explores themes of mythology and the feminine experience, reflecting an art historical interest in Pre-Raphaelite painting, but with a contemporary twist through the use of digital tools and popular culture references. Editor: Absolutely, the Pre-Raphaelites were masters of symbolism. Here, even the jellyfish tattoos seem symbolic. Fleeting beauty, vulnerability, and maybe a hint of stinging power all rolled into one… they seem almost sketched on, not quite permanent. Like a current of thought. Curator: Jellyfish certainly have complex connotations, and you are right to consider their associations. The way Joncas portrays her subjects in this work evokes certain traditions from history, especially given their ties to the moon and water. We often observe women represented through images related to natural bodies. Editor: True. But there’s also this striking modernity to it – the purple-blue hair, the crisp lines of the digital painting…it feels like a merging of worlds, which sort of reflects how we feel on social media sometimes: pressured to express certain idealized notions and versions of our lives when reality may have shadows of darkness as deep as this night sky behind her! Curator: This portrait reflects several themes important to the artist's ongoing projects that explore cultural ideals and norms. By presenting a character whose posture and figure can connect her both to current media trends and archetypes, the artist prompts reflections on social image-making. Editor: It does make you think, doesn't it? There's this inherent tension between what we show and what we hide, that she is capturing quite skillfully. What’s holding her down? The beauty, perhaps? The weight of the world, or of simply being a woman looking up in the dark? Curator: Certainly a work that resonates on multiple levels! Hopefully listeners can see how Joncas has created a space for such questions through skillful portraiture. Editor: I certainly came to this understanding; she is gorgeous and compelling. Thank you.