portrait of minji 2017

Aaron Nagel made this portrait of Minji using oil paint. Look at the way the light hits her face. I can almost feel the brushstrokes, like a caress, building up the form so smoothly. It's amazing how a few dabs of color can create the illusion of a three-dimensional form emerging from a dark background. What was he thinking when he tilted her head up like that? Is it defiant, or inviting? Maybe he was trying to capture her spirit, her strength. Painting is like a conversation, a dialogue between the artist, the subject, and the viewer, and Nagel seems to know that language well. It reminds me of Jenny Saville and her big portraits, full of flesh and energy. Painters are always talking to each other across time, riffing on each other's ideas. It’s so cool how artists are in conversation, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways.