Incubus 1991

Gary Hume made 'Incubus' with gloss paint on aluminum; it’s all pinks and whites, subtly shifting. I imagine the artist making the work, maybe thinking about something entirely different. Is that what an incubus does? It creeps in when you are thinking of other things. I wonder what it’s like to wrestle with gloss paint? It's so slippery, and gives the whole surface a skin-like quality. The paint seems thin, smooth and contained, not gloopy or excessive. This makes the experience feel more like a sensation, a gentle touch or a light-filled space. It feels so private and intimate to me, like the blush in your cheeks. You know, painters have been chatting across centuries. 'Incubus' makes me think of Agnes Martin’s work. Hume’s taken that quiet conversation and added a candy-coated note. I like that. Painting's a space for uncertainty, for multiple readings that shimmer.