The Hairdresser 

Curator: This expressive artwork is titled "The Hairdresser" by Mikhail Larionov. What's catching your eye first here? Editor: The thick application of paint, almost sculptural, feels raw. There's an immediate sense of labor, the physicality of applying color so intensely onto the canvas, right? Curator: Absolutely. The Fauvist influence shines through with these bold, unnatural colors. Consider how pink evokes a visceral emotionality. This may go beyond simply portraying what one *sees.* It captures feeling. Perhaps a personal experience for Larionov reflected by an everyman scene? Editor: The setting seems constructed, theatrical almost. It definitely gives me some insight to think of these objects and spaces as assembled, deliberately posed. That backdrop, those clashing colors– not your average barbershop, right? Curator: Think of how grooming rituals possess powerful symbolism; acts of both care and control. Notice the barber's focused expression– intent but almost clinical. It’s charged with an underlying tension, beyond simple beautification. Editor: And what materials were available at this point? Thinking about access to specific pigmentations can really illuminate color choices during certain periods. How was color consumption shaping a painter like Larionov? It isn’t just aesthetic, it’s economic, social… Curator: Intriguing. It might speak volumes of how certain materials affected an artistic movement like Expressionism which so leaned heavily toward emotion. Larionov’s roots in Russian avant-garde circles provide insight, as the rise of new technologies coincided with radical social change that found form on the canvas through expressive styles of paintings. Editor: These brushstrokes make clear how central labor is here. I wonder what relationship existed between the painter and the material that they’re shaping. I agree that looking at the period and social influences and material culture really shapes my understanding. Curator: Yes, thinking of those dualities in a space that, ostensibly, serves a function is fascinating. Thank you for bringing attention to this dimension. Editor: It’s those subtle gestures with bold choices, thinking about how that labor shifts and reveals a new understanding each time that's impactful.