Dollhouse I 2016

Joshua Flint made Dollhouse I with oil paint, and it’s like a hazy dream. The paint handling is interesting here, not quite impressionistic, but not photorealist either, somewhere in-between, where the process feels exposed. I love how the texture of the paint contributes to the overall mood; it’s thick in some areas, like the reflections on the ground, and thin in others, like the girl’s dress. You can almost see the individual brushstrokes, which adds a sense of immediacy and intimacy to the work. The color palette is muted, but there are pops of light, like the white flower in her hair, which draw your eye around the canvas. Check out the way the artist captures the light reflecting off the surface of the street; it’s almost as if the painting itself is glowing. This feels a bit like Alex Katz, who also captured these fleeting moments, so beautifully. Ultimately, the painting embraces ambiguity, inviting us to project our own memories and emotions onto the scene.