Imaginary Lives 2021

Curator: Martine Johanna's 2021 oil painting, "Imaginary Lives," offers us a captivating portrait. The sitter is perched, somewhat precariously it seems, in an armchair and glancing pensively off to the side. What’s your initial take? Editor: She looks like she's been caught mid-thought, or maybe mid-escape? There's this raw, unsettled energy, juxtaposed with the almost cartoonish colors. Is she comfy or on the verge of bolting? It’s giving me teenage angst, honestly. Curator: Indeed, the formal elements play a key role in establishing that tension. Observe the chromatic scale: The cool blues of the chair are in stark opposition to the adjacent solid blocks of flat pastel colors that partially eclipse the background. This push and pull directs the gaze towards her expression, the focal point, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Totally, that jagged, shifting background makes her feel off-kilter, even though she's sitting "still." And what about that cardboard bib, it almost parodies some formal element. Also, her book, it looks less read, more like a shield! Is it my wild imagination? Curator: That could certainly be argued. Yet that sartorial element also serves a semiotic purpose; the yellow, contrasting acutely with the surrounding softer tones, frames the figure, drawing our attention not only to her expression, but to the artist's manipulation of planar form. Furthermore, consider the geometric tension and asymmetrical composition. Editor: Oh, right! Formalist mode activated. Seriously though, she's caught between worlds – real and, like, not real. Johanna is laying it on thick, with colors screaming artifice! It gives the artwork a deliberately staged quality that makes it feels immediate and a bit frightening at the same time. Curator: Frightening? Editor: I mean, think about it. “Imaginary Lives”— the title promises escape, a safe space in a mind, but maybe she's overwhelmed by them? Her expression suggests unease more than escape. That’s compelling and a little dark, to be honest. Curator: Indeed. With that final provocation about darkness in mind, viewers can better contemplate this piece's ambiguities, to discover their personal meanings inherent within. Editor: It’s like the painting holds up a mirror, all stylish and distorted, inviting us to ponder our own realities and fantasies and, also, I’m very ready for a nap!