Of an Incandescent Memory 2020

Lanise Howard made this painting, *Of an Incandescent Memory,* with incredible tenderness. I just love how the artist has brought into being this image of a mother breastfeeding her child. You can feel the focus and softness and quiet in the face of the mother. I imagine Howard wanted to capture a universal image, a timeless moment of bonding. The pixelated blocks emerging out of this scene are such a clever and contemporary touch. The artist may have been thinking about how social media and the internet can be used to create a new kind of Madonna, a new vision for the ages. Howard is in dialogue with a long history of painters who have taken the Madonna and Child as their subject matter. What's so lovely about painting is the way it embodies the exchanges between artists across time and place, each informing the other's creativity. It’s like a conversation that’s been going on for centuries, always open to new voices and perspectives.