Madonna with Upraised Horns 

Curator: Well, isn't that unsettling yet mesmerizing? Editor: Indeed. The artist, Wayne Simpkins, calls this drypoint print *Madonna with Upraised Horns.* The figure’s rendered in monochromatic earth tones—rust, sepia, cream. There’s a density, almost a cloying feel to the forms. Curator: Right? Like a fever dream dredged up from childhood. The texture feels like layers and layers of worry worked into the plate. Look at how those "horns" also read as outstretched, skeletal arms. Are we witnessing a blessing or a curse? Or perhaps just... endurance? Editor: The figure appears structurally ambiguous—more akin to organic forms than a recognizable body. We see traces of human morphology distorted almost beyond recognition. This kind of distortion reminds me of the surrealist use of unsettling juxtaposition and altered states to create images that speak to the subconscious. The stark contrast of light and dark serves to heighten this. Curator: Subconscious city! To me, it screams primal feminine energy. I almost feel bad assigning a gender with labels like “Madonna” when it seems to predate definitions. More like a life force struggling against…something. What does this represent for Simpkins himself? Editor: Perhaps, drawing on your observation, this could be an investigation into the societal projections onto women that often strip them of their individuality and vitality. Or maybe Simpkins aims to investigate power structures or to dismantle our perception of accepted cultural myths? The way that negative space carves through the figure contributes a unique feeling. Curator: Ooh, I like where you are going. Myths reimagined… I find myself equally unnerved and utterly transfixed, wanting to probe the emotional space inside, while knowing there might not be solid answers there at all. Editor: Its strength is not just in its formal dexterity but also in its suggestive narrative; a space between recognition and obfuscation which calls viewers to interpret through the lens of our own experience.