Listen 

Editor: We're looking at David Michael Bowers' oil painting, "Listen." The most striking thing is that the figure's head is replaced by a conch shell. It feels unsettling, yet also kind of beautiful. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This piece sparks a rich dialogue. We have a portrait presented with markers of status - pearls, fine fabric - yet the face, the supposed center of identity, is replaced. It feels like a critique of societal expectations, maybe even a comment on how women in particular are often silenced or their voices are filtered through external pressures, like a shell amplifying or distorting sound. What does the title, "Listen," suggest to you in relation to that silencing? Editor: That makes me think about how shells are associated with the ocean, with hidden depths and vastness. Is Bowers suggesting that we need to look beneath the surface of appearances, to the deeper, often unheard voices? Curator: Exactly! And notice the shell designs woven into the garment she’s wearing. The external shell merges with the internal, symbolic shell. It blurs boundaries between interiority and exterior presentation. This could relate to how we perform identities, always mediated through a complex relationship of internal understanding and external demands. Where do you think that turbulent ocean setting fits into this? Editor: I see the ocean as symbolizing something chaotic, and maybe uncontrollable? Almost as if what can be "heard" or is worth listening to, isn’t going to come easily. It's not a peaceful scene; it requires effort to hear anything beyond the crashing waves. Curator: A great observation! It reminds us that truly hearing each other, particularly across power imbalances and societal structures that silence, requires intentionality and active engagement. It also feels like Bowers uses familiar images, like classical portraiture, to challenge these established hierarchies, placing alternative voices at the forefront. Editor: I now see this artwork less as just unsettling and more like an invitation, and almost a call for attention, to look more intently and, especially, listen closely. Curator: Precisely! By confronting traditional artistic tropes, Bowers encourages us to interrogate how we perceive and value different voices and narratives.