A. Margarita Peraza-Rugeley

A Sideways Glance, 2025

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20”

$600.00

Fear has many faces. “A Sideways Glance” presents a nocturnal scene, perhaps drawn from some dystopian society, or perhaps from a world all too like our own. In the forefront stands a character with sharp features and a disquieting expression. Behind him is a group of individuals gathered under a streetlight; their appearance is entirely different from his own. The painting invites different interpretations. Is this a scene of fear, of those beasts of the imagination? Does it speak of surprise? Or of desire? And if “A Sideways Glace” is a study in fear, then who fears whom? Is the lone individual a potential victim, or do his uniqueness and isolation somehow constitute a threat to the community? As all too often happens in our own lives, we confront a troubling ambiguity that resists final resolution.