Jack Ass! Shiny Hiney 

Editor: So, this acrylic painting is titled "Jack Ass! Shiny Hiney" by Dave Macdowell. The figures are grotesque, screaming. The geometric background and patterns on their clothing make me think of The Shining. It's... disturbing. What are your thoughts? Curator: Disturbing is a great starting point. Macdowell appears to be pulling imagery from popular culture, specifically horror. How do you think he's using the figures of Jack and Wendy Torrance here? Editor: Well, the exaggerated features push them past simple portraiture into caricature, right? And they seem… intertwined, maybe suffocating each other? Curator: Exactly! Think about the gender roles within the original film – Jack's descent into violent madness, Wendy's desperate struggle for survival. Now look at how Macdowell mashes them together. What’s he saying about that dynamic? Is he reinforcing those stereotypes, or challenging them in some way? Consider the active role that Wendy takes. Is that subversive in light of their history? Editor: Hmm, maybe. Wendy’s placement feels more assertive, not just reactive. The shiny hiney part… is it a reference to objectification, how female characters are often reduced? Curator: Precisely! It invites us to think about how both male and female figures in media, and particularly in horror, are often positioned within systems of power and exploitation. It prompts important questions about spectatorship and the politics of representation. Editor: I see. It’s more than just a shock image, it’s actively questioning the narratives. I initially just saw the surface level grotesque, but you’ve shown me that Macdowell’s critiquing the underlying power dynamics at play. Curator: That’s right. It reveals how horror can perpetuate or subvert ingrained social norms and biases.