The Lenna Sidh 2016

Joe Machine made this painting, The Lenna Sidh, and it’s full of interesting shapes and figures that feel symbolic and quite poetic. The painting looks like it has emerged slowly, with thin washes of colour that create a textured effect on the bodies of the figures. I can imagine Machine carefully building up the layers. The brushstrokes on the bodies are really distinct, creating a sense of depth and volume. It's amazing how the same brushstroke is repeated to create shading, like a methodical process. I wonder if Machine had certain colours or ideas in mind when starting? Or whether the act of painting itself led him in new directions? The figures have a kind of solidity, they become more and more present through colour and mark making, like a collaboration between artist and medium. This piece reminds me of other artists, like Paula Rego, who use the human form to explore storytelling and different states of being. In the end, artists are always in dialogue, building on each other's ideas and visions.