Soon be gone 

Editor: We're looking at "Soon Be Gone" by Fernanda Suarez, seemingly a contemporary painting done in acrylics. There's an arresting sense of realism about the figure, but it feels very posed and… curated. What sense do you make of it? Curator: It is curated, isn’t it? Think about how contemporary realism circulates, especially figurative work like this. It gains traction on social media, becomes iconic in very specific online art communities, before then eventually breaking through into more traditional gallery spaces. This image is almost *made* to be seen and shared widely. The artist, Suarez, understands and exploits that. Editor: So you're saying it’s more than just a painting; it’s participating in a visual economy? How so? Curator: Look at the composition. It pulls from conventions we see across online portraiture. The lighting, the angle, the subject's expression, even the lingerie, contribute to a very particular kind of desirable image that thrives online. It's designed to be immediately legible within that framework. The neon sign in the back seems to both allude to lived experience, but even that feels like a deliberate signifier. Does that reading feel right to you? Editor: Yes, that’s insightful! It changes my understanding, considering its social context instead of just viewing it as an isolated artistic expression. It makes me think about the relationship between artistic intention and how the audience will eventually interpret and share the work, particularly online. Curator: Exactly. By considering the image's journey through the digital landscape, we uncover a conversation about authorship, performance, and the very nature of contemporary art.