Dutch Reflection 2015

Eckart Hahn made Dutch Reflection, an oil on canvas painting with a colour palette that is dark and moody, but the flowers bursting through the gloom suggest artmaking as a process of working through difficulties. I love the way the flowers are both obscured and revealed by the folds of the plastic wrapping. It's like the painting is playing a game with us, teasing us with glimpses of beauty and then snatching them away. The plasticity of the medium mirrors the plastic sheet, making you think about materiality. The folds, painted with such detail, they almost seem real enough to touch. But it’s all an illusion, of course. A trick of the eye and a testament to Hahn's skill as a painter. It's reminiscent of some of the still life paintings by the old masters, but with a contemporary twist. It’s not just about capturing the likeness of things, but about exploring the possibilities of paint.