Two Schoolgirls 

Curator: Charles Blackman's "Two Schoolgirls," painted with acrylic on canvas, presents a haunting scene. It lacks a specific date but certainly carries a powerful aura. Editor: My first impression is a stark contrast between a heavy, almost oppressive sky and these strange, stylized figures. There's an unsettling formality, wouldn't you say? The flatness of the shapes feels so modern. Curator: Indeed. Blackman often employs symbolic representation, simplifying forms to distill essence. Notice the large hats; they act as shields, both protecting and isolating the figures. The hats and other shapes remind me of 1950s futurist style in the clothes worn. Editor: That's fascinating. Is that a reference to uniforms, or even the enforced conformity that was encouraged for women during the time this was painted? It strikes me as vaguely unsettling. There is little variation, little individuality to them beyond size. Curator: Blackman explores memory and its distortion, wouldn’t that be a clue that is this not an actual portrait? What appears uniform is really the impression school girls had at a particular point. It could also relate to psychological alienation from childhood and the social role, and their clothes stand out clearly in my mind in my memories, though they may be a distortion. He could be exploring similar themes through symbolic objects rather than trying for realism. Editor: I wonder what shapes that interpretation of social norms through his painting process? His modernist style, combined with the girls wearing hats that block any way for an actual connection really speaks of this feeling of psychological separation from other people's reality. Curator: Perhaps a commentary on the expectations placed upon young women, then and now? Editor: Precisely! This piece leaves you grappling with societal structures, doesn’t it? Curator: Yes, how individual identity can be shaped – or perhaps, constrained – by the collective. Thank you, this piece really struck me with its themes.