the unsettling 2022

Curator: Right now, we are looking at "the unsettling," a 2022 oil painting by Aaron Nagel. What’s your initial impression? Editor: The first thing I notice is the texture— the slickness of the jacket versus the more matte quality of her skin. There’s a real tactile quality, even through the screen. It makes me think about the work involved. Curator: Absolutely. And it speaks volumes about contemporary portraiture. The subject exudes a sense of defiance. But it's also ambiguous. Editor: Defiance definitely comes through. Check out the hardware, right? All those studs, zippers. The artist made choices to emphasize the ready-made against skin, bone and mortality Curator: Agreed. I think Nagel's work often wrestles with identity construction and how subcultures get packaged and commodified. Do you see any influence by a musician? Editor: The patch is a hint, a ready-made element within the piece, leading viewers in a certain direction, while also working to cultivate that sense of rebellion or what some call the counter-culture movement. And given Nagel’s work is a painting, I would bet all those studs are individual placements, laid on the surface by hand in some way, either by the artist himself or by a collaborative manufacturer! Curator: A fair assumption. It feels both familiar and alienating. This piece pulls us into contemporary questions about who we are now. Editor: Precisely! There’s an interesting tension between the labor intensive aspect of this “portrait” that clearly also has layers, perhaps a photographic print, which is why there are some hyper-realistic touches that highlight materials. I wish I could examine this in person. Curator: So many layers to peel back, wouldn’t you say? It reveals the complex relationship between subject and maker. Editor: Yes! Thinking about that relationship makes it more human. Thank you! Curator: And thank you! It always interesting to examine pieces through this perspective.