Lost Happiness 2021

Cornelius Annor made this figurative painting called Lost Happiness, and it’s a puzzle, right? I can imagine Annor wrestling with the composition, pushing and pulling the figures, and orchestrating the colors to convey a feeling of melancholy. The figures are painted with flat planes of color, yet they appear to be emerging from the creamy yellows and blues, and a kind of lavender haze. The surface has a tactile quality, making the painting a haptic experience as much as a visual one. I want to know more about the surface—is it thick or thin? I’m curious about how the artist handled the medium to shape the mood of the painting. And look at the man in the suit, the vertical lines a little like Auerbach. I think about the exchange of ideas between artists and how one painter's work can spark something new in another. Painting is not made in a vacuum, it’s a conversation.