Opposing Forces 2020

Kayla Mahaffey made this painting, Opposing Forces, sometime in the 20th Century, with what looks like acrylic paint. I love the flat planes of colour and the way the blocks of paint create a digitalized sword - it’s like a pixelated weapon! The surface has a smooth, almost airbrushed quality, which contrasts with the chaotic energy of the figures. There’s so much going on here – the two boys morphing into one, the bright red shorts, and the band-aid on the forehead! Check out that drippy red paint between their legs, it's as if they’ve burst open, oozing creativity. Mahaffey reminds me of someone like Phillip Guston with her mix of figuration and abstraction. Ultimately, this painting is about transformation. It's full of contradictions, yet somehow, they all come together in a beautifully weird way.