Oprah Magazine – Reading Room – Those Who Knew, by Idra Novey 2018

Owen Gent made this illustration, Oprah Magazine – Reading Room – Those Who Knew, probably digitally, sometime in the 20th or 21st century. I like how the artist has set up this composition, the viewer peers over the shoulder of one character as they gently place their hands on the back of another, seated in front. I wonder, what's going on here? Is this a moment of compassion, a gesture of care, or a sinister act? The tension is palpable, isn't it? Those fingers splayed, like the artist paused to consider their placement and the meaning they would generate. The artist seems to be playing with foregrounding and backgrounding and, as a painter, I can appreciate that! The colour palette is intriguing, too, isn't it? Maroon, brown, peach, and beige, all of which create a particular mood, and push and pull you into the painting. For me, these are the ingredients for something great.