Preparations 2021

Zoe Hawk, sometime in the 20th century, made this painting called Preparations. It has this slightly unreal feel, like a dream. The flat blocks of color and smooth surfaces give it a kind of timelessness. Look how Hawk renders the figures. Each girl is caught in a moment of intense focus, almost oblivious to the others, their bodies bent at strange angles. Take the girl ironing her hair. That dark iron, a solid, almost brutal form against the delicate strands of blonde. The contrast is striking. It reminds me a little of Balthus, that same sense of quiet unease, the way the girls seem both present and distant at the same time. There's a sense of ritual, of repetition, and something slightly sinister, though you can't quite put your finger on what. It's a mood, a feeling. Like a memory half-forgotten. And, as in all good art, there are no answers, only more questions.