Clinging unto the Lord 2021

Editor: Here we have Genesis Tramaine's 2021 painting "Clinging unto the Lord", made with acrylic on canvas. It’s…intense, the fragmented portrait style and bold color choices give it an almost feverish energy. What are your initial thoughts about how this work functions in today's art world? Curator: That raw energy you perceive is certainly present, and it resonates within the context of contemporary portraiture's evolving role. Consider how museums historically valorized primarily white, male artists. Tramaine, a Black woman creating spiritually charged, abstracted portraits, disrupts that established order. The bright colors, almost "pop art" as some describe it, draw the eye, demanding a re-evaluation of whose image gets displayed, whose story gets told, and *how* that story is visualized within these public spaces. Editor: So, you're saying it's not just the image itself, but where it's seen that gives it power? Curator: Precisely. A piece like this challenges institutional power structures, demanding visibility for traditionally marginalized narratives. Its very presence is a form of activism, isn't it? How do you think viewers respond to this defiance? Editor: I imagine many feel empowered seeing such a bold and unapologetic piece. It’s definitely giving a different message from the usual portraits that you see in the museum. It gives me more perspective about how art is presented. Thanks! Curator: And perhaps inspiring them to create and demand visibility themselves! It has been enlightening for me too.