In Untitled (The fountain of youth or dreams are made of this) [David], 2023 Cantons playfully explores themes of power, youth and masculinity. Immediately, Cantons work asks the viewer what they see - is it a depiction of Michelangelo’s famous sculpture David or simply a “dick pic.” Cantons is aware of the comedic aspect of the work but she encourages the viewer to dig deeper.

Untitled (The fountain of youth or dreams are made of this) [David], 2023 is also a sly response to Gustave Courbet’s infamous 1866 work L'Origine Du Monde. Cantons feels that painting David’s sexual organ, in its sculpted perfection as carved by Michelangelo, is a fitting counter piece to Courbet’s image.

With this piece, Cantons also engages with the social politics of the #MeToo movement and gender inequality debates. As Cantons depicts the penis and solely the penis, the work ties in to the current debates regarding genital images and the activity of sharing them be it unsolicited or between consenting parties.