The Reader 2018

Salman Toor's painting, 'The Reader' is made from layers of thin washes of paint, mostly browns, creams and greys, with just a touch of pink in the bedside lamp. Looking at this, I can imagine Salman starting with the figure, maybe a quick sketch, then building up the colours around it. The paint is so fluid and direct, like he's thinking through the brush. The way the light falls, the intimate setting, it reminds me of other artists that I admire like Pierre Bonnard. It's as though he’s capturing a private moment, a figure lost in thought with the whole world shut out. There's this push and pull between representation and the materiality of the paint. See how he uses those thin, washy strokes to create depth? And yet, it all remains so flat, so immediate. It's like he's inviting us to see the painting as a painting, a constructed reality. That's the magic. It opens up this space for contemplation, a quiet conversation between the artist, the painting, and us.