Gathering 2018

Curator: "Gathering," painted by Nick Alm in 2018, presents us with a group of figures rendered in oil paint, bathed in soft, diffuse light. Editor: The immediate feeling I get is one of subdued tension. The muted color palette, primarily grays and blacks, gives the scene a somber, almost claustrophobic atmosphere despite the implied grandeur suggested by the chandelier. Curator: That's a keen observation. Alm’s work often treads the line between classical figuration and contemporary realism. In the context of 21st-century art, the realism reminds the viewer of history. Alm pulls from genre-painting styles and group portraits which, historically, depict nobility and civic structure. Editor: The figures are indeed posed like a gathering of some sort but something feels incomplete in the narrative being portrayed. Everyone's facing different directions, seemingly absorbed in their own thoughts. The woman in the foreground looks directly at the viewer, and draws us directly into the psychology of the scene and that, for me, hints at something very deliberate, and perhaps melancholic. I detect symbolic associations with traditional themes like loss, mourning, or even societal unease. Curator: Symbolically, beyond that specific individual’s stare, the room itself is incredibly fascinating. The opulence of the chandelier contrasts with what appears to be more meager food settings, speaking to the social contrasts in our own moment and the gatherings we have at formal settings like the painting seems to indicate. It's an interesting commentary. Editor: It certainly makes you ponder what sort of gathering this is, and whether it's celebratory or something more somber. And look how strategically Alm’s arrangement calls on archetypes like those you’d see in Rembrandt and Caravaggio. He uses light to separate the groups, in turn separating the meanings we might create based on who is illuminated or hidden in shadow. Curator: Precisely. This painting engages in a wider discourse on contemporary life, using visual allegories reminiscent of past masters, which also connects us to what those styles might represent—old wealth or generational dynamics. Editor: Overall, a beautifully executed painting that prompts us to reflect on communal bonds and unspoken sentiments. The title alone – “Gathering” – speaks volumes, a deceptively simple word concealing complex emotional depths. Curator: And through this, Nick Alm gives a powerful lens into our current cultural dynamics by using techniques from generations past. It encourages you to consider art history when in social situations of your own!