The New Beginning 2009

Editor: Here we have "The New Beginning," an acrylic painting from 2009 by Dragan Ilić Di Vogo. It has a very dreamlike quality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, first, let's consider the title, "The New Beginning." The artist places the female nude figure centrally, juxtaposed against the checkered flag. It recalls familiar tropes of femininity as the prize to be won, yet it seems the figure herself is carrying it; a symbol, perhaps, of reclaiming agency and control. How does that interpretation sit with you? Editor: That's interesting. It hadn’t occurred to me. So you are seeing it as a commentary on the position of women? Curator: Precisely. Now, examine the background elements, the distorted faces and shapes. Consider these dreamlike figures through the lens of Surrealism, it seems to express the breaking free from both social structures and patriarchal expectations. And the title suggests a turning point… the potential to rewrite narratives of identity. Editor: I see what you mean. So, rather than being a passive figure, she’s actively constructing her own future. Curator: Exactly. This piece really invites us to question the role of historical representation and actively create the changes we need. Do you think the nude figure is gratuitous, or is it a statement of some sort? Editor: I think the historical context of the nude figure helps push a sense of how women were represented, while also showing us that they are becoming agents unto themselves, in the current day. It makes the rest of the elements, such as the flag, make sense and tie in a new era of reclamation and strength. Curator: Absolutely. So, what began as an initial observation of a 'dreamlike' quality, has become an entry point to explore historical, social, and gendered meanings embedded within. Editor: Yes, it’s given me so much to think about in terms of societal structures! Thanks so much!