Siesta 2008

Andrey Remnev's "Siesta" depicts a sleeping figure adorned with shimmering textures and curious motifs. I'm thinking about how this scene might have emerged, layer by layer, a kind of slow, deliberate construction. I can imagine the artist, brush in hand, carefully building up the luminosity of the sitter's dress, a kind of ochre-gold that seems to glow from within. The fish motifs bring a surreal touch. Were they painted wet-on-wet, allowing the forms to soften and blur at the edges? How did he achieve that intricate bird on her dress – a delicate, almost ethereal form? There’s something here that reminds me of classic portraiture, but with a modern sensibility that embraces fantasy and ambiguity. I wonder, how might Remnev’s exploration of realism and symbolism inspire other painters to think about their own approaches to representation? I love that painting is an exchange of ideas across time. It allows for multiple interpretations, inviting us to bring our own experiences and perspectives to the work.