Rivalry 2017

Curator: This is “Rivalry” by Joshua Flint, completed in 2017. It’s a mixed-media piece, primarily acrylic paint on canvas. Editor: Wow, it’s giving me this strangely sweet, melancholic vibe. Like a birthday party gone subtly wrong. I get hints of memory, seen through frosted glass, maybe? Curator: I can see that. The blurred edges certainly contribute. There’s a sense of implied narrative, figures positioned around what looks like a table, almost a stage, awash in these delicate pastel tones, offset by darker shadowy figures that peer at the events taking place. In terms of figuration, there’s some striking stylization here, recalling maybe early Neo-Expressionist modes. Editor: Yeah, it’s that almost brutal brushwork juxtaposed with these ethereal colors that creates that tension. And, there's that weird, almost aggressive use of dripping paint... a visceral counterpoint to the overall pastel softness. Are those kids? There’s such a sense of implied innocence disturbed. It feels both intimate and alienating. Curator: It’s fascinating how Flint evokes that unease. The faces, or lack thereof, heighten the psychological impact. It's difficult to discern expressions; the artist has rendered a scene heavy with symbol but withholding meaning from plain view. The use of suggestion encourages the viewer to bring their own interpretations of that psychological tension, informed by experiences and memory. Editor: It makes you wonder what narratives and universal experiences are informing this vision... It definitely lingers. The longer I look the more stories are awakened in my own head. Curator: Indeed. Flint's choice of neo-expressionism in this context feels deliberate, allowing "Rivalry" to function as a commentary on obscured memories. The canvas offers just enough narrative scaffolding, asking viewers to piece together those themes on their own. Editor: I like how it manages to capture the unsettling undertones beneath familiar scenes. So what seems commonplace at first hides this raw undercurrent, it's quite beautiful. Curator: Definitely. A haunting and lovely painting that stays with you. Editor: Yes. The perfect way to leave us, haunted and thoughtful.