Alterations 

Art Historian: We’re looking at "Alterations" by Erik Thor Sandberg. The artwork presents a peculiar scene, a blending of human figures, a deer, and surreal elements, all rendered with meticulous detail. Curator: It's unsettling, isn't it? At first glance, this feels like an almost pastoral scene, but the longer I look, the more discordant it becomes. It evokes a sense of manipulation and…violation. Art Historian: Precisely. Notice the setting – a darkened forest, which in art often symbolizes the subconscious. A woman sits nude in an odd orange chair; alongside her, a deer oddly dressed. A second woman seems to be spray-painting something small on its rear. Do you sense some possible classical echoes, perhaps relating to the Diana and Actaeon myth? Curator: I do see how the myth can be applied, yes. However, beyond that, the imagery speaks more of a culture obsessed with modification and control. Look at the spray paint. This represents a superficial change inflicted upon the natural world, right? Even the chair feels unnatural—like a forced imposition on this setting. It’s disturbing. Art Historian: Indeed. Observe the budding red growths on the deer’s antlers – potent symbols of life and virility twisted into something artificial. There are small symbolic ruptures scattered throughout—a red stain on the tree trunk, a spray-paint can discarded by a bush, and a sort of human toy in one of the woman’s hands. I can see the surrealist and neo-expressionist elements melding with an awareness of art-historical painting. Curator: I keep coming back to that contrast – this supposedly idealized scene undermined by jarring acts of defacement. What’s the artist trying to convey about our relationship with nature, or each other for that matter? It feels like there’s an undercurrent of unease and the threat of irreversible damage. Art Historian: Perhaps Sandberg is asking us to examine how we project our desires onto the natural world, altering and molding it to our whims, ultimately creating a distorted reflection of ourselves. It could be said the symbolic roots for this painting spread through an entire field of related mythologies. Curator: A field ripe for examination, certainly. Thanks for the layers of symbolic context to contemplate while I let this disquieting painting sink in. Art Historian: The painting is equally troubling and thought-provoking, even if it raises more questions than it answers. It reminds us of the enduring power of images to evoke complex emotions and invite deeper analysis.