The Recital 2001

Nelson Shanks made this painting of a recital, and the way he uses paint, you can tell it's all about the process. It's not just a picture, it's an event. Look at the red dress. It's not just red, it's like a whole world of reds, built up layer by layer. You can see how the brushstrokes create texture, making the fabric almost jump out at you. It's thick in some places, thin in others, like he's sculpting with the paint. And notice the pianist lurking in the background, half in shadow. It’s a fleeting moment, like he's trying to capture something real. Shanks reminds me a little of Lucien Freud, you know? Both artists interested in capturing a certain kind of truth, not just what something looks like, but what it feels like to be there. It’s not about perfection, it’s about the messy, beautiful, ambiguous stuff of life.