Study for The Examination 2020

Kent Monkman made this 'Study for The Examination', and you can see right away, it’s a painting about power, about looking, and about history. Monkman lays down the watercolor in thin washes. This isn't about thick paint, it's about storytelling and revealing uncomfortable truths. Look at the gazes. So many figures staring, pointing, and judging. The cool color palette heightens the sense of discomfort and violation. The figures contrast so sharply with the cooler tones of the interior. It's like a spotlight on a stage. And then you see the light, this comes from the hole in the roof and makes the whole scene more intense. It almost makes me think of Caravaggio, with the dramatic lighting and the figures caught in a moment of high drama. But Monkman takes it somewhere else, adding layers of commentary on colonization, sexuality, and representation. Monkman invites you to question everything you thought you knew, and that's what makes his work so compelling.