White Anthurium 2013

Soey Milk made "White Anthurium" fairly recently using oil on canvas, and you can really see her process in the final piece. It's not about hiding the work, but about revealing it. The material quality is what grabs me. The paint isn't just on the surface; it feels like it's part of the image itself. There's a certain roughness, an almost sculptural quality to the way the paint is applied, particularly around the figure. The flesh is thick, and the hair is more sketched. Then there's the line that goes right down the middle of the subject's face. Is it paint, is it saliva? I love the way that this one mark can have so many possible readings, from grotesque to sublime. Milk reminds me a little of Jenny Saville, who also refuses to shy away from the more confronting aspects of representing the human body. Both artists invite us to look closely, to question our assumptions, and to embrace the messiness of being human.