Of a Fearful Symmetry (Bound Hand and Foot) 1991

Jo Baer made this enormous painting, Of a Fearful Symmetry (Bound Hand and Foot), and looking at it I imagine her wrestling with these faint, watery images, like she’s coaxing them into being. The muted palette feels subdued, almost like a memory fading. I wonder what it was like for Jo, standing in front of this huge canvas, trying to make sense of this strange symmetry of hands, figures, and animals. You know, the kind of painting where the artist is searching and experimenting? The kind that’s full of happy accidents. The paint looks so thin. It’s like she built up layers of transparent washes, letting each one seep into the canvas. The outlines are blurry, imprecise. What's that dancing figure? What are the animals doing? Each choice feels provisional, like a question posed rather than an answer given. I think of other artists wrestling with these concerns, and I get a sense of how painting is an ongoing conversation. Each artist builds on the insights of those who came before, adding their own unique perspective. Painting offers us a space to explore the world and our place in it, embracing the unknown, the uncertain, and the ambiguous.