Yellow Polka Dot Martini 2019

Carrie Graber paints this image with a tight realism, a kind of photographic precision. But it's the colour that hits you first, this dominant yellow is a real mood setter. You can see the surface has a certain sheen, a delicate build-up of layers, almost like glazing. It's not about thick, gloopy paint here, it’s a smoother, more controlled process. Look at the way the light hits the woman's skin, how the yellow of the dress bounces up into her back, it’s a really subtle handling of tone. I always look at colour as a way to create space, and it's clear Carrie Graber is interested in the same thing, how the yellow of the doorframe comes forward and pushes the greenery behind back, the picture feels both flat and spatial. There’s something of Alex Katz in the figure's simplicity, that same interest in flattened form and heightened colour, but Graber brings her own touch, a sun-drenched optimism that’s hard to resist. Art isn't about answers, it's about opening up possibilities, and this painting does just that.