Another Country 2015

Joshua Flint made this painting, Another Country, using what looks like oil on canvas, and right away, I’m struck by the contrasts he sets up. There’s this real push and pull between figuration and abstraction; you can make out these figures, two boxers in mid-fight, and a crowd watching, but they’re all built up with these loose, expressive marks. Look at the way Flint handles the paint – it's thin in some areas, like washes, but then thicker, more opaque strokes define the figures. It reminds me of Francis Bacon, but maybe a bit less angsty? I keep coming back to the dark figure on the right. It’s almost like a shadow, a ghost, yet it feels so present. It grounds the composition, even as it blurs into the background, pulling the viewer in. What's not to love? It shows you how paintings can be a space of possibility, rather than something fixed.