Little Death in the Bluebells Grove 2016

Jana Brike’s painting, *Little Death in the Bluebells Grove*, seduces us with an innocent eroticism, delivered via traditional techniques. The artist has used oil paint here, a medium with a long history. It’s suited to smooth, almost photographic depiction, as well as visible brushwork. Both of these approaches are on display here. It’s a sensual paradox: figures in denim, aluminum balloons, yet a surface that is built up stroke by stroke. The term “little death,” or *la petite mort*, refers to the feeling of transcendence after orgasm. What’s interesting is that this moment is set amid standardized goods: clothes that can be purchased anywhere, objects mass-produced and marketed as signs of celebration. Brike's juxtaposition of standardized and rarefied labor, invites us to consider the social context of such a scene. It’s a reminder that even our most private moments are shaped by broader economic forces.