Á hestbaki 1978

Louisa Matthiasdottir made 'Á hestbaki' with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how she boils everything down to these confident, juicy marks. She’s not trying to trick you into thinking you’re seeing horses; she’s showing you how she sees them. The painting feels so alive because of Matthiasdottir’s interest in the physicality of paint. See how the brushstrokes are thick and loaded with pigment, especially on the white horses? She uses these slabs of paint to build form, but also to create a sense of movement and energy. Look at the way she defines the bodies of the riders with just a few strokes of color. It’s like she’s saying, "Here’s the essence of a person on horseback, take it or leave it." Matthiasdottir reminds me a little of Fairfield Porter, both of them so good at capturing the everyday, and yet they do it with such a unique, personal language. Ultimately, this painting is a reminder that art isn't about perfect representation. It’s about sharing a vision, an experience.