Internal 2018

Editor: Here we have Thiago Boecan’s “Internal,” created in 2018 using oil paint. The figures are pallid, set against a stark, black background and their anatomy is so warped; the emotions are…intense. It makes me deeply uneasy. How do you interpret this work? Art Historian: The artist’s focus seems primarily on the manipulation of form and the emotional resonance achieved through those distortions. Note how the palette is severely limited: the stark contrast amplifies the expressiveness of the figures. Do you observe any intentional strategies related to color or paint application? Editor: Well, the restricted palette really amplifies the disturbing mood, doesn't it? It looks like Boecan used visible brushstrokes – creating texture in their skin. But how does that texture change how we respond to the work? Art Historian: Indeed, the impasto contributes significantly. The physicality of the paint mirrors the tortured physicality of the figures, adding a layer of visceral discomfort. Think of the early Expressionists - Kirchner, for instance. Though more abstract, it shares that quality, that pushing of form to the limit. Does that reading clarify the formal mechanisms here? Editor: Yes, absolutely. So, you are saying the very *act* of applying the paint, the thickness and direction, conveys its own meaning, adding to the disquiet evoked by their shapes and gestures? That makes a lot of sense. Art Historian: Precisely. It invites us to consider not only the 'what' – the representation – but fundamentally the 'how': the construction of meaning through purely formal elements. Hopefully this analysis enriches the viewers encounter. Editor: It certainly has for me. Thanks for providing a way to really observe and analyse, focusing on line, brushstroke, composition, light and shadow - without getting too lost in trying to find the 'meaning'!