Lumen counselling – Identity 2018

Owen Gent made this image, Lumen Counselling - Identity, sometime in the 20th Century, and it looks like it was made digitally, probably using something like Photoshop or Procreate. The colours have a limited palette, and the artist creates a sense of depth using flat planes of colour. I love how the figures are both present and absent - solid blocks of colour with a curious lack of detail in their faces. The surface of the piece feels quite dry and papery, a bit like old tempera paint. There’s a curious ghost-like figure hovering in the background, and an abandoned pair of trousers in the foreground! These elements made me think of Giorgio de Chirico and his metaphysical paintings, which aimed to evoke a sense of mystery and alienation. Gent’s piece isn't quite as unsettling as a de Chirico, but both embrace ambiguity, leaving space for our own interpretations and emotional responses.