Liakesha Cooper in ‘High Noon’ 2013

Felice House painted ‘Liakesha Cooper in High Noon’ with what looks like oil on canvas, and you can almost feel the artist figuring it out as she goes. It’s like the Wild West meets a contemporary painting studio. I really get into the physicality of the medium here. Check out the way the brown of her vest is built up in layers, almost sculptural in places. The paint isn't trying to hide itself; instead, it’s right there on the surface, thick and present. Then, in contrast, see how the artist’s used these thin washes of color to create the background. It’s as if House is playing with how much to reveal, how much to obscure, and how much to leave open to interpretation. I am reminded a little of Barkley L. Hendricks in this piece with the way it plays on historical tropes and flips them on their head. Painting is about taking risks, about embracing the unknown, and in this, Felice House is really throwing down the gauntlet.