Star 2013

Eckhart Hahn, born in 1971, made this painting, Star, with oil on canvas. I can only imagine him there in his studio, layering the scene—the bird on the perch, the blue and gold birdhouse, the black form hanging beneath, and the red rope tied to yellow balls. The painting reads as if it is a collection of bizarre objects arranged in a still life, but there is something so strange about this arrangement. The treatment of paint and the overall tone is fascinating. The brushstrokes are so smooth, almost airbrushed, and the light is eerily consistent. Hahn seems to play with hyper-realism but the painting is somehow not real at all. I imagine him in conversation with Magritte. Each artist, in their own way, creates a space of inquiry for the viewer. They show us how the practice of painting can offer different ways of thinking and experiencing the world.