Wild We Are Beasts 

Editor: This intricate drawing, titled "Wild We Are Beasts" by Cassidy Rae Marietta, uses ink to create a very detailed scene. It feels both fantastical and unsettling. What do you see in this piece, especially considering the artist’s choices in composition? Curator: The immediate striking element is the duality presented through formal contrast. On one side, we have dense, almost chaotic linework, depicting skeletal figures and what appears to be a symbolic landscape. On the other, the artist offers a relatively open, framed space containing the figure. This division immediately creates a tension, directing our eye in a particular fashion. Do you find that the "thin linework" lends itself to creating some interesting juxtapositions of form? Editor: Yes, definitely. The delicacy of the lines makes the darker areas feel even more overwhelming. I'm also curious about the red and green lines scattered throughout. What role do those colors play in the overall composition? Curator: Those chromatic lines serve as disjunctive elements. They disrupt the otherwise monochromatic harmony and, I would argue, call attention to the surface quality of the drawing itself. By breaking with the consistent texture, the artist is reminding us that this is an image, a constructed reality, not a window onto another world. Editor: That’s a really interesting point! I hadn’t thought about how they draw attention to the surface. It makes me appreciate the work on a completely new level. Curator: Exactly! By analyzing its components – the linework, the composition, the deliberate disruptions of colour – we get closer to grasping what the artist communicates beyond subject matter. Editor: I learned so much about how crucial analyzing the art-making is for figuring out what it communicates. Curator: And I enjoyed hearing how this perspective resonated and impacted you!