Girl in a floral swimsuit 2017

Sergey Piskunov painted this 'Girl in a Floral Swimsuit', and right away I want to dive into that cool water. Just look at the surface texture he’s achieved with the paint. The layering of the colour, and the way the brushstrokes suggest movement – you can almost feel the cool embrace of the water as you gaze at it. Up close, you see how the figure seems to dissolve and reappear, just like when you're swimming. See how the water distorts her arms, making them seem longer, somehow? There's a tension here between realism and something more abstract; the interplay of light and shadow on the water's surface creates a sense of depth and movement, while the figure remains relatively still, serene almost. It reminds me of David Hockney's pool paintings, but with an added layer of psychological depth. It’s about seeing – and feeling – the world in a new, fluid way.