Marine 1971

Curator: Here we have Evelyne Axell’s "Marine," created in 1971. It's a striking acrylic piece from her Pop Art period. Editor: Wow, it feels immediately like summer. That azure blue is so intense, and that sun-drenched figure—like something out of a fever dream. Those goggle-eyes staring right at you are pretty bold, too. Curator: Axell's work often grappled with themes of female identity and liberation within a patriarchal society. Positioning this female nude so confidently, surrounded by potent symbols like birds, could be read as a statement about freedom and the female gaze. Editor: Definitely, there's a sort of tongue-in-cheek thing going on here, don’t you think? The naive rendering of everything—almost like a child's drawing, yet with this mature sensuality underneath. And the cut-out effect of that large bird – so playful, yet oddly unsettling. I like that friction. Curator: Indeed, Axell's manipulation of form and symbolism opens the piece to layered interpretations. Looking closely, the large central bird feels like it’s consuming the smaller ones flying next to it, revealing potentially complex and less utopian readings of female identity, moving beyond simplistic binaries of oppressor and oppressed, particularly relevant when considering her position within the feminist art movement. Editor: Yeah, there's definitely something darker simmering beneath the surface of those bright colours. It is kind of… devouring. Maybe it's also about the pressure of being observed. She's on a beach, in her skin, watched. Who is watching whom here? That gives it real power for me, like, don't sexualize, don’t touch… watch, because it's my choice if I will reveal myself or not. Curator: Considering Axell’s engagement with consumer culture through the Pop Art movement adds further layers to consider—juxtaposing it with her own feminist concerns of the era reveals much about female visibility and objectification. Editor: Makes you think about how little has changed in some ways, right? These power dynamics still echo pretty loud. Still, you can feel she’s got hope for what’s next for women…even while saying not everything is ideal for them. Thank you for contextualizing and deepening my first impressions about Evelyne. I enjoyed looking at this piece! Curator: My pleasure. I’m left considering Axell’s unique voice within a field often dominated by male perspectives and am moved by the power she yields over it.