The Birdwatcher, A flightiness to time 2021

Curator: Alright, so this is Lanise Howard’s “The Birdwatcher, A flightiness to time,” created in 2021. The medium here is acrylic on canvas. My first thought is that it looks pretty huge, it’s like standing in the jungle just as the sun begins to dip. Editor: It does have that immediate, enveloping quality, doesn’t it? I’m drawn to how Howard uses the structure of portraiture against the backdrop of neo-expressionism to, almost, frame this figure, set up an intimate gaze while also conveying the sense of vastness of nature. What are your impressions of this individual's story within that scene? Curator: I think what strikes me is how serene and centered this person seems, even with these swirling colors and tropical birds kind of buzzing around them. There's a quiet confidence, a feeling of being at home within chaos. Almost like time, which the title alludes to, flows differently here, where the subject mediates his environment as well as our own interpretation. I also wonder if the lack of conventional clothes indicates a raw and unfiltered sense of self. Editor: I see that. The juxtaposition of the stark, solid blacks of his pants and belt against the openness of his upper body—it's a play of constraint versus liberation, the artificial meeting the natural. Do you think that that kind of compositional decision tells us something about this figure as a subject? What can be said about the birds that populate his immediate space? Curator: Good eye. Absolutely, I think that juxtaposition hints at the complexities of identity. He’s existing within the natural world with the adornments of contemporary living. The birds really emphasize the movement and lightness—like fleeting thoughts or moments. Do you think the artist uses nature to represent something symbolic here? The subject really looks to be enjoying some needed peace. Editor: Given Howard’s technique, especially this kind of layered color palette, nature does become almost a living canvas. It's as though the birds and plant life become semiotic markers of memory. Ultimately, the painting allows the outside, natural, environment of the portrait and the interior, mental space, of the figure to blend and communicate on the picture plane. It also creates space to observe that this scene appears timeless while simultaneously rooted to our modern time period, as noted by the subject’s casual demeanor and outfit. It's interesting how personal identity can be interwoven with environmental narrative, what are your lasting thoughts on that relationship in this context? Curator: What lingers with me is the invitation to consider time—to remember its flightiness, and to take the time to understand our environment. In Howard’s piece, there's this very cool dance of self and setting. Editor: Agreed; it's a potent reminder to consider the structures—the artistic form and our own preconceptions—that we bring when viewing each portrait.