Target Successfully Bombed 2002

Kristoffer Zetterstrand’s painting, made with oils, shows what seems to be a deserted building under a threatening sky. I can only imagine the act of layering these strokes, like a game of shifting and searching, building the texture, finding the light. I like to imagine Zetterstrand, thinking, what can I add to this scene to show the underbelly of destruction? What a challenge for any painter. The paint is laid on pretty thick, helping to construct the scene. The yellow light that floods the building gives a sense of something both ominous and banal. I'm intrigued by the dollar sign, hovering like a ghostly apparition on the right. I mean, what could this be? A wry comment on the economic forces behind conflict? The dark humor of it all? Zetterstrand’s painting engages with broader ideas about the ethics of representation and the role of art in addressing complex contemporary issues.