To Act as a Mirror 2021

Lanise Howard’s painting, To Act as a Mirror, uses oil to conjure a compelling and dreamlike atmosphere. The artist’s approach to mark-making feels gentle, with soft gradients of color creating a sense of depth and light. The surface has a luminous quality, in part because of the thin veils of paint, and it gives the impression of two figures existing in a space of pure potentiality. I find myself drawn to the lotus-like plants in the foreground, their delicate curves echoing the gestures of the figures above. There's a visual dialogue between the organic forms and the geometric abstraction above. In a way, this painting reminds me of Hilma af Klint’s spiritualist works, where the boundaries between the seen and unseen become porous. Howard leaves us in a space of contemplation, where the act of seeing becomes an act of reflection.