Females 

Editor: So this rather… vivid print, simply titled “Females,” by Walter Battiss… it's definitely making a statement. All these stylized figures on a bright red background – it feels very bold and playful, but also kind of confrontational. What exactly am I supposed to *see* in this piece? Curator: Well, isn't that the question all great art begs us to ask? For me, this print crackles with Battiss's signature zest for life, but with a cheeky wink, of course. Think about his obsession with what he called “Fook Island” - this imagined paradise where art and life blur into pure, uninhibited joy. These figures aren't just female forms, they are embodiments of primal energy. Do you catch a hint of Miró's playfulness mixed with a touch of South African colour? Editor: I can definitely see the playfulness, but “primal energy” sounds a little intense. They look almost cartoonish, maybe even a little silly? Curator: Maybe that’s the point! It's that contrast, isn't it? This balance, or maybe delightful imbalance, is part of the thrill! A celebration and a subversion. Were they just pretty, neatly decorative little things it would fail. Are these female forms presented ironically, subversively, reverentially... who is to say! Does it make *you* reflect? Editor: Reflect? Yeah, it does. I initially just saw something loud, but now I get there's more to it than just the shock of the colours and shapes. Thanks. Curator: And thank *you* for keeping me on my toes! Isn't it magnificent to realize how much an artwork can reveal to us – and about us – if we give it just a little more of our attention?