Humiliated Ancestor 2 2016

Editor: Here we have Salman Toor’s "Humiliated Ancestor 2," an oil painting from 2016. The colours are quite muted and the figure looks...unsettled. What do you make of it? Curator: As a materialist, I see Toor's layering of oil paint not just as representation, but as a record of the labor and decisions involved in its creation. The visible brushstrokes and thin application draw attention to the constructed nature of the image. What does that visible process suggest to you? Editor: I guess it feels very raw and unfinished. It makes me think about how he was feeling when making the painting. Curator: Exactly! And we should consider what it means to depict humiliation in this way, drawing on the traditions of portraiture – historically a signifier of power – but undermining that through the painting’s material handling. What does that contrast reveal to you? Editor: Maybe it shows how traditional symbols can be flipped on their head to change the story? Toor's process sort of lays bare the vulnerability of the subject. Curator: Precisely! And considering the title, this process might reveal the "humiliation" through the sheer act of being exposed through the medium, challenging the ancestor’s legacy via material re-presentation and consumption. Editor: That’s a fascinating angle! It makes you think about who controls the narrative, both within the painting and historically. Curator: Absolutely. By focusing on the materials and process, we uncover how Toor challenges established power structures. Editor: This has made me appreciate how the 'making of' art holds just as much meaning as what's actually depicted. Curator: Indeed. The choices behind the paint itself tell a powerful story.