Jonah 2000

Bo Bartlett painted 'Jonah,' sometime around now, in oil. The color palette is pretty muted, all earth tones and creamy whites, and it gives the whole scene a feeling of being submerged, not just the figure, but everything, even the act of painting itself. Looking at the surface, you can see the brushstrokes are soft, almost hazy, and the paint is applied in thin, translucent layers. The woman’s body has a sculptural quality, but the odd, furry legs are what makes the piece so compelling. It's like she's transforming into something else, some sort of creature. If you focus on the texture of those legs, the way they blend into the sandy bottom, it's like the earth is claiming her, or she's becoming one with it. This reminds me of Paula Rego’s dark, dreamlike narratives. Bartlett, like Rego, isn’t afraid to explore the darker sides of human experience, the ambiguity and the strangeness. Both artists understand that art isn't about answers, it's about questions.