The Pleasures of Tending 2018

Carrie Graber made 'The Pleasures of Tending' using oil paint, and the whole thing is dipped in this gorgeous honeyed light. I love how the title reframes this common domestic chore, suggesting a gentle, almost meditative approach. There’s something so fascinating about the texture of this piece. The paint looks so smooth, almost like enamel, and the colors are lush, with all these muted greens and golds. The light, though - it really catches the eye. See how it pools around the vacuum cleaner and the woman's dress, giving everything a kind of glow? The line of the vacuum cleaner cable across the floor makes a striking gesture, cutting through the image and energizing it with movement. It reminds me a bit of some of the surreal domestic scenes that Lisa Yuskavage paints. But Graber’s work has its own specific kind of strangeness. Ultimately, this is a scene of quiet observation and ambiguous narrative, where the act of painting becomes as much the subject as the scene itself.