Murder Ballad 2016

Zoe Hawk's 'Murder Ballad' is a painting with an eerie sensibility, employing gouache to achieve its smooth, matte surface. The paint application is so precise, almost denying the hand, yet the haunting narrative pulls you in. The details are stark, like the axe placed innocently on the stump. Look at the way the pale lavender light filters through the trees, casting an unsettling glow on the figures. Some recline, while another is seated at the water’s edge, her feet submerged, another still rows away. The mood is suspended, pregnant with a story that's both beautiful and deeply unsettling. The artist orchestrates a symphony of muted tones, creating a landscape that feels both dreamlike and foreboding. This picture reminds me of Paula Rego's work, in that it holds a dark, fairy-tale-like quality, where something is brewing beneath the surface of a seemingly simple scene.