The Magician 2020

Zoe Hawk made this painting, 'The Magician', sometime in the 20th or 21st century with a great sense of both humour and an interesting approach to making marks. The marks sit on the canvas with equal weight, building the image from discrete parts. You can really see the physical presence of the paint and the hand. Look at the way she’s painted the dark jacket and skirt, applying thin layers of paint in different directions, creating the illusion of volume and depth. The curtain behind the figure is made of up vertical lines, like colour-field painting meets theatre back-drop! It reminds me a little of early Alex Katz, though the subject matter is totally different. Hawk's work is compelling because it invites us to look closely and consider the many layers of meaning and making that are embedded within it. It's this openness to interpretation and exchange that makes art so exciting.