Natural Attraction 1943

Conroy Maddox made this painting, Natural Attraction, sometime in the 90's using paint on paper. The colours are giving me this faded memory feeling, like an old postcard someone sent you from a place you’ve never been. I’m really into how the surface has this powdery texture, it’s like looking at a dream through a screen, which makes sense for surrealism, right? Then you get these shapes that are kind of familiar but also totally alien. Check out the figure in the middle. It’s like a chair wearing a mask, but also a weird kind of portrait. It reminds me of Philip Guston because he’s taking these mundane objects and turning them into something totally bizarre and emotional. Ultimately, a piece like this reminds you that art isn’t about answers, but about asking questions.