Winter Clothes 2016

Joshua Flint made this dreamy oil painting, "Winter Clothes," with layers of blurry brushstrokes in muted grays, deep reds, and fleshy tones. I imagine Flint, brush in hand, circling around the canvas, trying to capture something fleeting. Look at how the figure seems to dissolve into the ornate chair. Is she there, or is she a ghost? That red velvet cushion practically vibrates with energy. And the way he’s blurred the edges of the figure makes me feel like she’s about to disappear, like a half-remembered dream. The paint is applied thinly, allowing the surface to breathe, and the way the colors blend creates a haunting atmosphere. It reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s blurred photos, how he smeared the image to create a sense of unease. Painters are always in conversation with one another, borrowing and riffing on each other’s ideas, and it is through these exchanges that painting continues to evolve and surprise us. It’s less about answers and more about embracing the questions.