Magnesium 2019

Allison Reimold made this painting, Magnesium, sometime in the 20th century, probably with acrylics or maybe gouache. I’m really drawn to the colour palette here, it’s mostly blues and purples, with a dash of turquoise, and it feels super dreamy. I think that's what Reimold was going for here, not just a picture of a bird, but a mood, an emotional state, using layers and soft blending to create that atmosphere. Look at how the artist has rendered the bird's feathers and the surrounding branches, there’s such a painterly approach to light and shadow. It's a little like those old fairy tale illustrations by Arthur Rackham but way more psychedelic. What I love most is the surreal touch of the single line emanating from the star-like thing, which gives the piece this strange narrative quality. It reminds me a bit of Remedios Varo, but with a lighter, more whimsical feel. It’s this openness, this willingness to embrace the fantastical and the poetic, that makes art so endlessly fascinating, isn’t it?