Strawberry Tart Supreme 1974

Audrey Flack has constructed a painting of an array of delectable pastries in her "Strawberry Tart Supreme," capturing a moment of indulgence on canvas. I imagine Flack in her studio, moving around and experimenting with light and shadow to create this hyper-realistic scene. The painting emphasizes texture and color. The strawberries practically gleam with their syrupy glaze, and you can almost feel the fluffy lightness of the whipped cream. The reflections of the cakes on the surface below add another layer of sensory delight. Flack’s process reminds me of the old masters, but with a distinctly modern twist. Like other photorealist painters, Flack pushes the boundaries of what painting can do. I wonder what it would be like to grab the painting and shove it in my face. I wonder if Flack was inspired by Wayne Thiebaud’s confectionery still lifes, or if she had another vision in mind. This is what artists do – they see something, and then they see something else.