Black Bird 2016

Terri Kelly Moyers' Black Bird, was painted sometime in the 20th Century, we don't know exactly when. The colour palette is fairly muted and sombre. It is a pretty interesting piece because it doesn't shout, it doesn't make a huge fuss. Instead, it invites you in with subtle details and a quiet mood. It's all about the surface, the texture, and the way light plays on the fabric and the skin. The paint handling looks smooth, but the more you look, you can make out how thin layers of paint are built up to create a sense of depth. The whole picture feels like a dance between light and shadow. There's something about the way the black bird and roses are painted on the shawl that reminds me of Gustav Klimt. Both artists play with pattern and decoration. Like Klimt, Moyers finds a way to make something very intricate feel organic and alive. Art is a conversation across time, constantly building on what came before. It is the way artists embrace ambiguity, leaving room for multiple interpretations.