Absorbant Blues 2021

Curator: Martine Johanna's "Absorbant Blues," painted in 2021, uses mixed media techniques to explore contemporary figurative art, heavily influenced by neo-expressionism. Editor: My initial gut reaction is melancholy. She seems shrouded, almost like she's trying to disappear into the ether. There is also something ethereal. Curator: It’s fascinating how Johanna blends the physical and emotional realms, isn't it? This piece uses acrylic paint with an impasto technique, adding a tactile quality that mirrors the sensory overload of intense emotions. Consider how that connects to her overall commentary on the figuration? Editor: The way the hands are positioned, partially obscuring the face, feels like a commentary on shielding oneself, but from what? From within or the world outside? Curator: Johanna often reflects personal experiences through a broader, sociocultural lens. Her work questions visibility and vulnerability. Who is allowed to show their authentic face, and who feels pressured to hide? The scattered iridescent flecks feel crucial here; almost tear like? Editor: Absolutely, or even like distant stars, far away glimmers of hope? There is something about her hair colour combined with the facial expression that is giving me Marie Antoinette during imprisonment. It looks so heavy to carry. Curator: Indeed. Also, her choice of a portrait style makes it particularly striking. By presenting such raw emotional exposure in this traditional format, she really forces us to confront our own discomfort with these subjects. Editor: Well, it is as though she is making you, the viewer, the shoulder to cry on. Curator: Definitely, and think of the societal implications. "Absorbant Blues" challenges the historical expectation that women's portraits always depict an image of perfection. Editor: I keep coming back to the colour choices, though, that orange warmth on the hands is contrasted with the cold sadness in her eyes. The effect creates a push-and-pull within the viewer, it demands you see, but you wish she was free from sadness. Curator: It's been such a good reflection point of what has been going on and being suppressed for centuries and yet so present still now. Thank you for pointing that out. Editor: I am glad. The experience for both of us to stand still and contemplate such depth gives much deserved reverence to this work of art.