King and his Subjects 2005

Twins Seven Seven made this wonderful painting, King and his Subjects, with paint and ink on paper, and what strikes me is how he makes it all so flat. I mean, perspective is there, but it's, like, optional! The texture is so immediate and joyous. The colors are bright and alive, with the red border really popping. The paint application is varied—sometimes thin washes, sometimes bolder strokes. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the paper. Check out the king’s face: all those little details combine and bring him to life, giving him a larger-than-life presence. Twins Seven Seven's work reminds me a bit of William H. Johnson, in that they both use this flattened perspective to bring the characters to life on the page. With art, there's always room for more than one way of seeing things.