Paradies 2019

Eckart Hahn made this 'Paradies' painting with what looks like the precision of a miniaturist and the surrealism of a story-teller. I am trying to imagine Hahn in his studio. The wall papered background feels uncanny, like a dream. You can almost feel the flat surface, but it's interrupted by these three perfectly round portals with birds peeking through. The paint has a thin quality; it's like a veil delicately draped over the surface. I love how the birds seem both present and absent. Like a stage set, it makes you wonder: what is real and what is not? I love that he gives us a glimpse into this other world. Hahn is in dialog with the history of surrealism, but then, what artist isn’t? He’s not just painting what he sees but suggesting a whole other reality. And that’s the kind of conversation that keeps art alive.