Swimming Lessons 2018

Editor: Jana Brike’s “Swimming Lessons,” painted in 2018 with oils, presents this scene of women, or rather, girls, submerged in a river running through the forest. The expressions and the overall setting give off a sort of fairytale, yet slightly haunting vibe. How do you interpret this piece? Curator: Primarily, I'm struck by the compositional elements at play. The artist has constructed a scene where the human figures are almost swallowed by the landscape. Notice the contrast between the smoothly rendered faces and the more textured, almost frenetic brushstrokes used for the water and foliage. Consider how the cool tones of the water are juxtaposed against the warmer greens and browns of the forest. Editor: Yes, that contrast is definitely there! I also wonder about the faces - why only their heads, like disembodied subjects in water? Is there significance? Curator: Precisely. Brike uses visual dissonance to create tension. The serenity implied by the floral crowns clashes sharply with the slightly pained expressions of the figures and their peculiar situation within the rushing river. Their placement demands that we consider their relationship to the natural world. Ask yourself what these choices in rendering imply about themes in the artwork, whether this is about the self, identity, beauty or more pressing human themes. What do you notice? Editor: The rendering of the water - it is like it has volume and form. It seems significant, like the river is holding or obscuring more than it reveals. Curator: The dynamism of the water directs the eye around the canvas. Observe how the artist uses a limited palette to emphasize the flow and movement. Note too the gaze and expression that draw your eye through the painting, leading you on. Editor: I now understand that Brike uses the material to its full expression; composition, colour, contrast and flow draw the viewer in to explore a world of natural wonder and its dynamic energy. Curator: Precisely. By examining the intrinsic elements of the piece we see how the form conveys significant insight to meaning.