I Am Your Moonlight and Flower Garden 2015

Jana Brike made this oil painting, “I Am Your Moonlight and Flower Garden,” with delicate realism and a touch of the surreal. I imagine Brike building up the pale hues layer by layer, finding the planes of the figure as if sculpting with light. The title suggests this is a place of beauty and vulnerability. It's like the moths are drawn to the light, clinging to the figure as if she herself were a source of illumination. The slightly parted lips, the red nails and the bare breasts give a sensuous touch but the lacey fabric pulled up, obscuring the face, creates a sense of unease. I can relate to the impulse to merge the figure and the background. It's a way of creating a mood, a feeling. Brike is in conversation with the history of painting, with artists who have explored similar themes of beauty, desire, and mystery. It’s a testament to the enduring power of paint to evoke feelings that are hard to put into words.