Sarah Field 2015

Curator: Felice House painted "Sarah Field" in 2015. It's an oil painting portraying a woman, close up, almost a headshot, set against a prairie landscape. Editor: Whoa, the way the figure kind of merges with the landscape makes it feel like she's sprouting right out of the earth. It's an intense feeling of being both grounded and exposed. Curator: The prairie as backdrop definitely amplifies that effect. Think of the American landscape tradition – it's always about identity, expansion, and this almost spiritual connection to the land. House places her subject, Sarah, right into the middle of that narrative. What’s striking is, that by facing us directly, Sarah reverses the dynamics: from being the ‘promised land’, she becomes the conscious observer instead. Editor: I get that. Her gaze is super direct, no frills. Like she's challenging us to acknowledge her presence. It also reminds me, strangely enough, of old daguerrotypes, these formal portraits people posed for like it was serious business, where sitters stared right through the lens and into the future. Curator: Exactly. By engaging portraiture and historical painting conventions House gives agency to women depicted in painting. Editor: There's something about that stormy sky mirroring the figure's demeanor too. I wonder if Sarah is the artist, maybe a reflection of something House was feeling? The colors are intense, yet the painting still maintains a strange calmness. The whole piece seems layered in a way that prompts deeper reflections. Curator: I think you’re right to pick up on that, the merging and questioning are a visual trope in Felice House’s work. She plays with codes to challenge preconceived views on representation in painting, asking her public to pause and to see things differently. Editor: Yeah, after looking closer, the wheat and Sarah's gaze carry this defiance. It is hard to ignore her, or the broader societal stuff swirling underneath the surface. Curator: Agreed, definitely one to spend some time contemplating. Editor: Exactly, thanks for pointing it out, let's head on to the next one.