Awake 2017

Martine Johanna made "Awake," a painting, sometime in the 20th century, using soft, blended colors that feel like a dream. The way she handles paint reminds me that art is really about a process. Looking at the girl's face, the paint is so smooth, like porcelain. The pinks and peaches give her skin this unreal, almost glowing quality. Then you see the cat sketched in, all thin lines and empty space, and it's like Johanna is showing us the bones of the painting. It’s incomplete, but so evocative. The color palette gives it a surreal appearance, reminiscent of the uncanny colours of Lisa Yuskavage. It’s interesting how this mixes realness with something totally made up. The whole thing feels so open, unresolved, but somehow complete. That's what art does, right? It gives us a feeling, not an answer.