Dissolved Girl 

Editor: So, here we have Sarah Joncas's "Dissolved Girl," painted with acrylics. What I find immediately striking is the peeling effect – it gives the portrait this sense of fragile impermanence, like it could vanish any second. What's your take? What story do you think it's trying to tell, or evoke? Curator: Oh, I love that word – "vanish"! It speaks volumes. To me, "Dissolved Girl" isn't just about physical impermanence, but also about the dissolving self. Look at the subject's gaze: it’s direct, yet there’s a vulnerability that peeks through, almost like she’s bracing herself for something. I keep thinking: is it societal pressure, the erosion of identity? Have you considered that the rough tearing acts almost like a metaphor? Editor: A metaphor for a breakdown? That makes sense. The almost architectural grey fragments contrast so strongly with the smoothness of her face... Curator: Exactly! The artist is making a bold visual statement here. The perfectly rendered face and figure against the aggressively damaged "wall". This push and pull...it gives me pause. Tell me, does the green backdrop remind you of anything? Editor: You know, I hadn’t really thought about the green before, but now that you mention it, it does bring a strange feeling to the piece, doesn't it? Curator: It's subtle, yet insistent, isn't it? Almost toxic, perhaps a reflection of the emotional state? Maybe that’s too on the nose, haha, but art is all about our emotional journey. Perhaps for Sarah Joncas, it’s a dialogue between inner turmoil and outward presentation? What a question she poses, and what an intriguing piece. Editor: It is so thought provoking. It’s interesting how just framing it in terms of emotional vulnerability and identity shifts how I perceive the whole artwork.