GN in Blue 2015

Editor: Here we have Aaron Nagel's "GN in Blue," an oil painting from 2015. The stark blue light immediately sets a contemplative, almost melancholic, mood for me. How do you interpret this work, given the unusual lighting? Curator: Oh, the blue! It's more than just light, isn't it? Nagel seems to be exploring the very essence of mood. Blue has such a rich history in art, think Picasso's Blue Period, always loaded with sadness or introspection. But here, I see something more… analytical, almost scientific. It's as if Nagel is dissecting how color alters perception. Do you find the realism unsettling when bathed in such an artificial hue? Editor: I do find it unsettling, yes, like she's caught between worlds. It makes her seem both present and distant at the same time. The way the blue emphasizes certain features while obscuring others is quite striking. Curator: Exactly! And it makes you consider, what does it mean to truly *see* someone? Is it the sum of their realistically rendered features, or is it the emotional landscape we project onto them, or that they project back to us? Nagel gives us the features, then promptly skews them with this wash of emotion. Are we any closer to knowing her because of it? I’m not so sure. Perhaps that’s the point! Editor: I love that idea—that he's questioning the very nature of portraiture. It's much more than just a likeness. Curator: Absolutely. Nagel isn’t simply painting a face; he's painting an atmosphere, a question. It really urges you to consider the unspoken narrative the artist presents with these… unexpected colour choices. A question, cleverly framed, in blue!