Squeal 2010

Sun Mu made this painting, Squeal, with oil on canvas, and the smoothness of the paint is almost unsettling. The girl’s mouth is open, a dark void, a startling focal point amidst the otherwise muted palette. Look at the rosy cheeks and the careful rendering of the skin – it’s hyper-real, but slightly off, like a dream. The red of her tie and bow is so saturated it almost vibrates against the pale background. There are pale green symbols or words floating behind her. That raised finger, it draws your eye, doesn't it? The way it is rendered so perfectly, it almost has more personality than the rest of the figure. The color use reminds me of Elizabeth Peyton’s portraits, but the subject matter is more pointed, more like an unsettling, political cartoon. Is it a squeal of delight or a shout of forced obedience? We can never know for sure, and that's what makes it so interesting.