Quiescence of the Invincible Man 2017

Jana Brike painted this work of reverie and surrender, "Quiescence of the Invincible Man," with oils, creating a space where vulnerability meets vastness. Notice the way the pastel shades create a dreamlike feel, where the figure blends into a landscape dotted with the ethereal lightness of butterflies. The paint is smooth and carefully blended, almost concealing the artist's hand, which allows the subject's quiet contemplation to come forward. This sense of being caught between worlds is intensified by the way the figure is ornamented with flowers. Now, consider that sketchy outline of the heart on his chest, it’s a place where vulnerability is exposed, it is a subtle echo of loss, even as the figure lies in peaceful repose. There's a nod here to the Pre-Raphaelites, perhaps, in the dreamlike beauty and the focus on the body in nature. Art, like life, is a field of endless conversations. Brike’s piece is a whisper in that field, an invitation to feel our way through the seen and unseen.