Call it mine 

Curator: Fernanda Suarez’s piece, entitled “Call it Mine,” really stopped me in my tracks. There's something almost unnervingly beautiful about it. What's your take? Editor: My first impression is melancholy. It feels like a Baroque painting viewed through a distinctly modern lens, doesn’t it? The subdued palette, the shadowed background... it's all very dramatic. Curator: Dramatic is spot on! And those eyes! It's like she’s daring you to look away. I think it reflects themes of ownership, not just of one's body, but also of one’s narrative. Editor: Absolutely. There's a challenge to the male gaze here. A reclaiming of the narrative through a carefully constructed presentation of vulnerability and strength. The bare skin juxtaposed with those bold, dark roses is incredibly potent. Curator: I also can’t help but consider what those roses symbolize! They aren't just ornaments; they appear strategically placed. Is this a painting about secrets and defiance? Editor: Precisely! Think about the history of the nude in art – traditionally an object for consumption. Suarez cleverly subverts this. She seems to position the subject as active rather than passive, asserting agency. Curator: Do you think the composition reinforces this idea? How the almost gothic backdrop contrasts with her almost modern hairstyle, or perhaps even challenges us to reconsider the definition of classic beauty itself? Editor: The backdrop speaks volumes about historical constraints. She’s both within that tradition, and simultaneously rebelling against it. And those roses, that barrier, challenge ideas around what we get to see and the privacy or ownership of your own body, of who you are. It’s like the painting is begging you to reconsider ingrained presumptions of art, sexuality, power. Curator: It definitely leaves you with a lot to chew on! What initially seemed like a simple fantasy portrait transforms into a profound commentary about how women occupy space in both art and life. Editor: Absolutely. It’s a powerful articulation of reclaiming ownership, literally and figuratively, from the art historical canon. "Call it mine," indeed. Curator: Yeah, it resonates for sure. Beauty isn’t always gentle, is it? And art that pushes boundaries like this always gets the strongest reaction out of me, because it starts asking tough questions.