Where The Boys Are 2011

Editor: This is "Where The Boys Are," an acrylic painting from 2011 by Dave Macdowell. It feels like a dreamscape – unsettling, but kind of alluring too. What strikes me is the contrast between the childlike figures and the adult, almost aggressive imagery. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I think you’ve hit on something important by noting that tension. Macdowell's painting uses a ‘pop-surrealist’ style to critique the hyper-sexualization and commodification of women. Notice the proximity of "love" and "sex" with “dominatrix” signs in the backdrop and a peep show reference. All of that contrasted by those symbols of innocence, such as the cartoonish skulls on the earrings and a multitude of rabbits that almost read as childhood trauma or fear. Does this begin to read like an intersectional comment on a corrupt culture? Editor: Yes, absolutely. The setting feels almost dystopian. The woman, or girl, holding the gun… It’s like she’s defending herself. Curator: Exactly! The "Where The Boys Are" title evokes a certain kind of promised destination, a freedom maybe… yet here it's filtered through a lens of danger and exploitation. And the skeletal hands holding the gun drive home a sense of mortality and a fight for survival within these patriarchal structures. This work feels so important, especially right now. Do you agree? Editor: I do. I hadn't considered all the different elements in relation to female empowerment, or lack thereof. It's a lot darker, and a lot more complex than I initially thought. Curator: And that's the power of art, isn't it? To make us question what we see and the society we live in. I'm excited to see how this new understanding informs your future analyses.