Great Strides II 2018

Curator: This is "Great Strides II," an acrylic on canvas by Carrie Graber, painted in 2018. Editor: My first thought? This is straight out of a dream sequence from a late 60s film—a Palm Springs fever dream. That color palette is intense! Curator: Yes, the painting deploys a specific kind of mid-century modern aesthetic, one deeply intertwined with ideas of leisure and a particular vision of femininity. Note the architectural backdrop—it situates the figure within a carefully constructed environment of privilege. Editor: Absolutely! The light feels baked in, the colors almost hyper-real. There’s something unsettling and glamorous about it. Like the woman’s on a mission, but the destination is somehow ambiguous, right? Or does she knows where she’s going, and it just seems normal? Curator: Perhaps. We can certainly examine it in light of second-wave feminism. The woman’s assertive posture versus the almost doll-like presentation—her body tightly framed, even molded by the clothes she is wearing. Does she have autonomy or is she trapped in an imposed aesthetic? Editor: The fact that the title includes "II" suggests an evolution or a series—an ongoing story. I wonder, what great strides are being made? Is it the march of time, a personal transformation, a statement about societal progress that Graber wants us to discuss. It’s interesting, it holds the line between kitsch and criticality—do you see it? Curator: Indeed, and I think Graber’s painting invites us to question the visual languages that have shaped our understanding of women's roles and representations in art and broader culture, and how those impact, inform, and reflect inequalities in society. Editor: And to just take in the sheer weird beauty of it all! Makes you think of movies you’ve seen or want to invent! It's a fascinating tension between desire and unease, right there on canvas. Curator: I concur. This painting is a strong reminder that aesthetic choices always operate within broader social and historical contexts. Editor: So next time someone says Palm Springs, maybe this is the picture we use to describe its vibes!