Thirty Pieces of Silver 2006

This is Chris Ofili's world of blues, painted with such fluidity you can almost hear the music. Imagine Ofili in his studio, wrestling with the canvas, pushing and pulling the paint to conjure a scene that feels both familiar and dreamlike. The blue figure stands tall, almost defiant, her form rendered with a confidence that says, "I am here." But what is she listening to? A violin? A flute? Is she beckoning the snake? Or is the snake a figment? Ofili’s lines are never quite sure, and that's the beauty of it. It’s as if he’s saying, "Here’s a story, but you get to decide how it ends." Ofili is in conversation with all of art history. This feels like stepping into a jazz club after visiting a museum. It’s loose, it’s free, and it invites you to bring your own experiences to the table. Painting is like that, you know. It is never really finished.