Habitat 2013

Andrey Remnev made this painting called Habitat, and when I look at it I wonder what the process of making it was like for him. The colours are rich and saturated, there's a sort of mysterious palette here of royal blue, burnt orange and earthy browns. I imagine Remnev might have started with the figure, her cool gaze and powdered wig setting the tone for the whole composition. Then, I guess, he built up the painting in layers, each element carefully placed to create this surreal, dreamlike scene. The texture is smooth, almost porcelain-like, which adds to the painting's otherworldly quality. The way the dogs are depicted is so interesting, they're almost like symbols or emblems, not quite naturalistic, but full of energy and movement. Remnev is in conversation with the history of portraiture, but he's also pushing it in new directions. It makes me think about how we are always in dialogue with the artists who came before us, building on their ideas, twisting them, and making them our own.