Mountain Lion 

Curator: So, what are your immediate feelings when you look at "Mountain Lion," this oil painting by Julie Bell? I see it as a fascinating commentary on power and vulnerability in the natural world, but I'm interested to hear your first impressions. Editor: Whoa, it's intense! I feel a really primal sort of connection. The warmth in the light kind of lulls me in, and then bam that stare. It's like a shot of espresso laced with raw wilderness. Gives you that edge, you know? Curator: Absolutely. This image brings up some compelling dialogues around representation. The way the animal's gaze directly meets the viewer forces us to acknowledge its presence and, by extension, confront our relationship to wildlife. Julie Bell places the majestic creature within a landscape that seems to dwarf the cougar in relation, and yet its captivating gaze projects nothing short of total command. Editor: Exactly! It’s not just the gaze but the stillness, that perfect moment of serenity before the spring. You’re never sure, looking at this cougar, is it a relaxed afternoon or is there movement that will be captured a moment later, the composition so still it hurts. Does it look realistic, a bit too "noble savage," maybe? I wonder how ideas of wildness versus domestication influence our reading? Curator: That brings up important points of how these kind of representations can echo or challenge colonial narratives about humans versus the wild. What stories about domination, class, and civilization do we find ourselves either supporting or deconstructing in viewing it? But it’s not static, it allows multiple ways to approach the relationship of ourselves and nature, depending on our unique lens and our experiences. Editor: Right? So, in some ways, that is what good art does, reflecting parts of our humanity and parts of what connects us with all the beings. I will say that regardless of this depth, what I see at first glance is one hell of a mood. I will ponder about our relationships after this chat! Curator: So true! We could certainly do worse than spending more time in reflective discourse about what connects us to each other and everything else, including art. Thank you! Editor: My pleasure. I should probably just get outside for some air.