Sleep Selfie II 

Editor: We’re looking at "Sleep Selfie II," an oil painting by Valeria Duca. It portrays a woman asleep, and there's something so intimate about the close-up view. What do you make of a painting that depicts such a private moment, and what does it tell us about the artist's intention? Curator: It’s fascinating how this modern painting plays with the tradition of portraiture, transforming it into a very personal statement. Think about the history of portraiture – typically commissioned to project power, wealth, or status. Here, Duca uses oil paint to capture vulnerability. What's striking is the way she uses the selfie – usually associated with curated online personas – to present something seemingly unmediated. Editor: So you're saying it subverts the expectations we have of both portraiture and the selfie as forms of self-representation? Curator: Precisely. It begs the question: how does social media culture change our perception of self, and how does that translate into art? Consider how the museum itself shapes this work’s meaning. Is this intimacy something to be revered, dissected, or is it another fleeting image to scroll past? Editor: That makes me consider the almost voyeuristic perspective of the viewer. Do you think the title is suggesting a level of self-awareness in the act of portraying oneself asleep? Curator: Yes, the “selfie” aspect points towards a performative element even within purported vulnerability. What do you make of that tension between exposure and concealment? It makes me wonder about the relationship between artist, subject, and viewer, doesn't it? Editor: I hadn't thought of the artist as performer but, when considering this in context of art history and modernism, the layers become more evident. Curator: Exactly. Ultimately, a piece like this is interesting, and encourages us to think critically about the artifice inherent in all representations, even those claiming to be authentic or spontaneous. Editor: I now realize that its artistic merit really rests on those complexities surrounding modern digital culture. Thank you!