Saint John The Baptist In The Wilderness 2013

Kehinde Wiley painted this piece, ‘Saint John The Baptist In The Wilderness’, using a high gloss oil paint, in his signature colourful style. The piece has such a distinctive approach to mark making, because the artist wants us to understand artmaking as a process; as something which is constructed and which has its own rules. I find myself drawn to the surface of this piece. The paint is smooth, not thick, but it’s also incredibly saturated and opaque. It's an assertive surface! I love how the colours almost vibrate against one another, pushing and pulling our perception. And then you notice these meandering leaves and you realize that the background is actually very intricate! The figure stands confidently against this vibrant pattern, the geometry of their top and dress is echoed and subverted by the organic chaos of the floral background. Thinking about this, I'm reminded of someone like Elizabeth Murray. This piece embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations over any kind of fixed meaning.