Find 1956

This painting by Remedios Varo shows a curious vessel navigating a narrow, dark waterway. The palette is warm and earthy, like aged wood and sun-baked clay. Varo builds up her images through meticulous detail. You can sense the slow, deliberate process in every precisely rendered line and shadow. Look closely at the textures. The trees, with their twiggy branches, seem almost fossilized against the night sky. There's a tactile quality to the paint, making the whole scene feel like some kind of strange, hand-crafted diorama. The boat itself, a floating tower, has tiny staircases and windows. There are figures on board, each engaged in their private, mysterious activity. It feels like a mobile community. Varo’s sensibility reminds me a little of Leonora Carrington's work, both artists sharing a fascination with the occult. Ultimately, the surreal is a way of making the invisible visible. These artists invite us to embrace the unknown.