Aqua Culture 2016

Zoe Hawk painted this piece, Aqua Culture, with oils, and I love how it feels like a half-remembered dream. It's all about process, right? The mermaid looks suspended in a brightly colored, almost stage-like space, and the mark-making feels very deliberate. The painting has this incredible surface, where you can see how the artist layered thin washes of color to create depth, especially in the water and the figure’s dress. Look at how the light hits the mermaid’s tail, almost as if she’s illuminated from within. It’s this one gesture that gives the whole scene a sense of magic. It’s not photorealism, but the color has this glow. It reminds me a bit of early Hockney, that same playful approach to narrative, color, and composition. And maybe like Hockney, Hawk is reminding us that art is about seeing, but also about imagining. Is this reality, or fantasy? Does it even matter?