Tightrope walkers 1944

Remedios Varo made this painting, "Tightrope Walkers," with oil, conjuring a dreamscape where the real and the surreal waltz together. The color palette is earthy, muted, almost like looking at a sepia photograph tinged with the faintest blush of red. The strange geometry of the figure with the three faces, that almost look like they are made of folded paper, reminds us that nothing is quite what it seems. The painting is built up of thin layers of translucent paint which allows Varo to build up an incredible amount of detail. Look at how the light catches on the figure, with its pale curves, as it sends a tightrope walker into the forest. The lines are so fine they are almost ghostly. What is it about this forest that seems so sinister, so full of looming shadows and yet so still? It makes me think of Leonora Carrington who was also interested in these kinds of strange mechanical and organic hybrids. Both artists invite us to embrace the unknown.