Refractions 2016

Michael Hafftka made this painting, entitled Refractions, using mixed media on paper. Here, we see two figures, each embodying contrasting emotional states. Notice the spiral drawn on the chest of one figure. This symbol, often associated with the cycles of life and death, recurs throughout history, from ancient labyrinths to the swirling patterns in van Gogh’s skies. It also appears in psychoanalysis to symbolize the depths of the human mind. In Hafftka's composition, the spiral may speak to the figure's inner turmoil, hinting at a subconscious struggle or an introspective journey. Consider the recurring motif of emotional anguish in the works of Edvard Munch; like Munch, Hafftka uses visual symbols to project his subject's emotional states, engaging us on a deeply psychological level. It is through these shared symbols that the past speaks to the present.