Kenrick, Pink Dream 2020

Lanise Howard made "Kenrick, Pink Dream" – I'm not sure when, but it's oil paint, so there's a slow build-up, a process of layering that feels very deliberate. It's fascinating how the pink background sets off the tonal variations in his skin, the folds of his shirt, and even the almost lurid green of the flowers that coil up the side. Look at how the light catches the gold chain around his neck. It's almost photorealist, but then there are these surprising, almost discordant areas, where the artist has allowed the underpainting to show through. It's kind of like the painting is dreaming itself into being. Those hands! Knobbly, elegant, they tell a whole story, don't they? I am thinking about Barkley L. Hendricks, who also painted portraits of black men with vibrant background. What I like about this piece is that it isn't afraid to be a little weird, a little unresolved. It embraces the inherent ambiguity of painting and allows us to bring our own interpretations to the table.