Expelling the Vices 2014

Kent Monkman made this painting, "Expelling the Vices", using oil paint on canvas, and it’s a wild ride of color and gesture. You can really sense the artist's hand in the application of the paint, it feels direct, almost urgent. Look at the way Monkman uses the colors, the bright reds and blues against the softer, muted tones of the landscape. It’s a visual feast! The paint itself seems almost alive, thick in some places, thin and transparent in others. Check out the way he renders the figures—there’s this incredible physicality to them, they're really present. The artist uses these colors and varied textures to create something that’s both visually stunning and emotionally charged. It reminds me a little of some of the history paintings of Delacroix, where drama and emotion take center stage. But Monkman takes it a step further, critiquing and rewriting the narratives of power. In the end, art is always an ongoing conversation, and Monkman has a lot to say.