Reverence 2016

Martine Johanna made this painting "Reverence," sometime in the late 20th century. Here we have a portrait, I think, of someone lost in thought, or maybe overwhelmed by sensation. The colors are unreal, but the feeling is very recognizable. Look at those fingers, slick with something orange, pressed to her lips. Is it pleasure or is it pain? I can imagine Johanna at work, building up layers of oil paint, mixing those strange, luminous colors. The cool blues and greens against the warm oranges and reds create this push-pull effect that I find so compelling. It reminds me of the way Marlene Dumas uses color to convey emotion. It is easy to imagine the artist standing in her studio, brushes in hand, trying to capture something elusive, something just out of reach. Maybe all paintings are just a record of that struggle.