Lady Purpura 2020

Editor: Right in front of us, we have Camilla d'Errico's "Lady Purpura," created in 2020 using acrylic paint. It has this dreamy quality, and I’m fascinated by how the artist combines human and animal elements. What catches your eye in this particular piece? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the materials themselves, and the way D’Errico elevates the traditional medium of acrylic to something almost ethereal. Acrylic, historically seen as a more accessible and democratic material, here takes on a jewel-toned, luxurious quality. Do you think the subject matter is at odds with that materiality, or does it enhance it? Editor: I think it enhances it. The surreal combination makes the classical painting style much more interesting. The pop-surrealist aesthetic definitely shines through. How do you think it ties into pop-surrealism overall? Curator: Precisely. Pop-Surrealism often plays with accessible materials to subvert high-art expectations. D’Errico employs commercial acrylics but her skill transforms it. Look at the layering of colors and glazes. Consider too, the labor involved in achieving such a polished, refined surface with such a ‘common’ medium. It pushes back on established art hierarchies, doesn’t it? The industrial material mimics the traditionally precious – purpura, of course, alluding to Tyrian purple, historically laborious and costly to create. Editor: So, it’s kind of a commentary on value and production then? By taking accessible paints and turning them into something that resembles older art practices of purple extraction, d'Errico forces us to reconsider how we see value and rarity. Curator: Absolutely. Consider the context of contemporary art markets and how accessibility challenges traditional gatekeepers. It's also worth asking whether that message would have been available without such skilled labour as painting such delicate detail. It really forces us to re-evaluate. Thanks for bringing that perspective.