Ascension on a School Trip 2017

Jana Brike painted "Ascension on a School Trip" with what looks like oils. I love how the paint is applied thinly, allowing her to build up translucent layers and create this luminous, dreamlike atmosphere. The girls float in a field of flowers, with these amazing snow-capped mountains in the background, which could either be painted with really tiny brushes, or it could be a collage. There's this great tension between the dreamlike quality and the tangible details, like the tiny blue flowers surrounding the girls. If you look closer you can see how each flower is carefully rendered, adding to this sense of wonder and meticulous observation. It's like a memory, vibrant and slightly surreal. Brike's work reminds me of Paula Rego, they both have this narrative, figurative style that really draws you in, yet isn't afraid to be strange. Ultimately, it's a painting that invites you to let go of fixed meanings and embrace the unknown.