Burg 2018

Eckart Hahn painted Burg using oil on canvas, and right away, I’m curious about the contrast of the hyper-real bird, so bright yellow and full of detail, with the stark geometry of the composition. What was Hahn thinking when he made it? I can almost feel the artist carefully layering the paint to create the bird's smooth, almost luminous feathers. It’s really precise, the kind of detail that draws you in. The red floor and the knot of blue rope gives a sense of depth, while the shadows create a sense of unease, like the bird is trapped in the corner of the space. The bird kind of reminds me of Magritte's surreal landscapes. Hahn is also playing with reality and illusion. It's an ongoing conversation, across the ages, with painters working through similar ideas, inspiring each other in unexpected ways.