Night (large version) 2011

William Balthazar Rose made this large painting, Night, with visible strokes of muted colors layered to create a dreamlike space. It's a murky scene, hard to tell what's going on – maybe a ritual or a bizarre theater production? The paint is applied in such a way that nothing feels quite solid, figures bleed into the background, and the colors blend with a hazy quality. Look at the textures around the edges of the figures; see how Rose uses a dry brush to drag one color across another, suggesting movement and uncertainty. The figure with the horse's head is particularly striking. It's a symbol of… well, who knows! But its presence makes the whole scene feel stranger, more theatrical. Rose reminds me of Ensor, with his own bizarre cast of characters, always questioning what art can show us about ourselves. What do you think is happening here?