Bad Mutha Eraserhead 2010

This “Bad Mutha Eraserhead” portrait by Dave Macdowell is realized in shades of purple that give it a strange, unearthly vibe. Imagine the artist layering color upon color to construct this vision. I’m thinking about how the artist has used light and shadow to intensify the feeling of being confronted by this character. There’s something about the gaze that's both unsettling and magnetic, it reminds me of some of those portraits by Alice Neel. But it's not just about representation, is it? The painting is a thing in itself. It's about the physicality of the paint, the gesture, the way it's applied. I see echoes of Francis Bacon in the distortion of the face. Artists are always in conversation with one another, borrowing, stealing, and transforming. I love how painting can embrace ambiguity, allowing for multiple readings, inviting us to bring our own experiences and associations to the work.