Adjusting the Aerial 

Editor: Here we have Iwo Zaniewski’s “Adjusting the Aerial,” an acrylic on canvas. It feels incredibly isolated, the colors are almost sickly, and the figure is dark, silhouetted, hunched over this old television. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: It immediately evokes for me the political and social context surrounding mass media, particularly television, and its pervasive influence on individual lives, wouldn’t you agree? The image, though simple in its depiction, speaks volumes about control, access to information, and perhaps even censorship depending on where and when it was made. Editor: Censorship? I hadn’t considered that. It just felt… lonely. Curator: Think about it. The figure is almost grappling with the technology. They are literally adjusting the aerial to get a clearer signal. Consider the power dynamics involved. Who controls the message being broadcast? Who has access to it, and how easily? Is there perhaps commentary on state controlled media at play here? Editor: So, the act of “adjusting” becomes an act of trying to access forbidden knowledge? Curator: Potentially, or perhaps a struggle for individual agency against a backdrop of overwhelming societal influence. I’m curious about the home setting too. Note how the outside light contrasts starkly with the flickering TV light – the internal, personal space versus external messaging. Editor: That makes sense, now that you mention the external vs. internal contrast, I see it. There’s something inherently unsettling about that shadowy figure silhouetted in such a drab home environment. Curator: Absolutely. And doesn’t that isolation invite questions about the individual's relationship to broader societal currents? Art is at its best when posing complex issues on the role of politics in everyday life. Editor: That gives me so much to think about when considering mass media now. Curator: Indeed. It’s through that contextual understanding that pieces such as “Adjusting the Aerial” grow in relevance and power.