Hunting Party 2017

Editor: This is "Hunting Party" by Rose Freymuth-Frazier, painted in 2017 using acrylics. The portrait is striking! There’s a child with a bird, and a mask that almost feels…sinister? What do you see in this piece? Curator: The mask is central, isn’t it? Masks, across cultures, transform identity. They both conceal and reveal. Think of carnival traditions, shamanistic rituals – the mask is a potent symbol. Here, it's placed on a child, suggesting an initiation, perhaps? A transition into awareness, where innocence confronts the hidden. Editor: Initiation... that's interesting. I was thinking of hiding and revealing in terms of maybe children and their games? What about the bird – does it hold any symbolic weight? Curator: Absolutely. Birds are traditionally messengers, often connecting the earthly realm with the spiritual. Notice how delicately the child holds the bird— almost a precious burden. But, look closely: is it a real bird or an object? It’s adorned and feels precious, as though the child has something of value in her grasp. Editor: It could be both—real and symbolic! How interesting. There’s also that almost Renaissance-era formality contrasting with what looks like contemporary acrylic painting techniques. Curator: A wonderful point! This combination of classical and contemporary brings a tension, a sense of timelessness clashing with modernity. Think of how fairy tales recycle old myths for a new audience—does Freymuth-Frazier use the "language" of portraiture and masquerade to question ideas of what’s precious, what’s innocent? Editor: I never considered the historical element like that. Now, I can't help but notice new things and connections! Curator: Precisely! The beauty of symbols is their ever-unfolding potential.