The Triumph of Mischief 2007

Kent Monkman made The Triumph of Mischief and the colour palette and attention to detail show an interesting approach to artmaking as a process. There's so much going on in this painting, you can almost feel the energy radiating from the canvas. The mountains in the background feel soft and blurred. In the foreground, the eye is drawn to the figures moving in the centre. The paint isn't overworked, and it feels like it's been laid down with energy. Look at the way Monkman handles the bodies. The colour of the flesh against the landscape creates a vibrant contrast. Are they dancing or fighting? It's hard to tell. It's this ambiguity that makes the piece so compelling. He's in conversation with artists like Delacroix, but very much his own man. In art, embracing the unknown is sometimes more powerful than any definitive statement.