Muscle Memory 2017

Joshua Flint made this painting, ‘Muscle Memory’, at some point, with paint. There’s something so open about the way the image is constructed, like a fleeting thought that's not quite formed. Flint's use of a muted palette, dominated by grays and browns, with those pops of blue, creates this dreamlike, almost ghostly atmosphere. The texture, the way the paint is applied in thin washes and thick strokes, it’s all so present, so physical. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the canvas. Look at the lower part of the painting, at the shadow, there's a sense of depth, of something hidden beneath the surface. It’s not just a shadow; it's like a portal, a glimpse into another dimension. It reminds me a bit of Richter, especially his blurred paintings. But Flint brings his own sensibility, his own way of exploring memory, and the way we piece together our experiences. It’s all so wonderfully unresolved, so open to interpretation.