Rococo 2013

"Rococo" was created by Robert McGinnis using paint. There’s something so playful about the way he approaches the figure, it's all about process, an attitude of letting go. I love how the whole image is built from thin washes of layered color. Check out the way the light catches the heel of her shoe. It’s so subtle, like a whisper. The table is all ornate curves and floral details, a kind of baroque excess, yet her skin almost feels matte. It makes me think of how texture can play with your perception. McGinnis reminds me of someone like Philip Pearlstein, in the sense of how he is thinking through the history of painting. It’s all about a conversation with the past, a process of reinterpretation that keeps evolving. Art is never about fixed meanings, it's an ongoing exploration.