Jubilation 

Editor: We’re looking at "Jubilation," an oil painting by Julie Bell. It shows a nude woman amongst a flock of flamingos. There’s something intensely Romantic about this; she seems to be almost *one* with the birds. What do you make of it? Curator: It's fascinating to consider the role of fantasy art within a broader art historical context. Julie Bell’s work here invites a closer examination of how societal expectations shape our perception and presentation of the female form. We often find that art of this type gets marginalized from main museum collections; do you think that’s because it has been viewed as catering to a predominantly male gaze? Editor: It could be. I guess I hadn't really considered *why* I like it. It's just... pretty! But is that problematic in itself? Curator: Not at all. Consider this a challenge to critically engage with the socio-cultural messages art conveys, even fantasy art. Bell, after all, is a woman artist who's claiming ownership and, thus, agency in this narrative. The figures' idealized musculature perhaps alludes to a different, subversive agenda. Editor: That’s a perspective shift. So, instead of passively enjoying it, I should think about who gets to represent what and *why.* Is the artist trying to create a counter-narrative within this genre? Curator: Precisely! And how do we, as viewers and institutions, either perpetuate or dismantle traditional hierarchies and stereotypes in our engagement with it? What do museums subtly (or not-so-subtly) approve and elevate? Editor: I always just thought fantasy art was… escape. Now I see it can engage with real-world power dynamics. Curator: Exactly. The act of seeing is never neutral; institutions often reify certain canons, and we participate in it, usually unknowingly. This gives us an opportunity to see fantasy through a sharper lens, maybe.