Dreaming As The Summers Die 2017

Zoe Hawk made this painting called "Dreaming As The Summers Die" sometime in the 20th century, and it feels like stepping into a half-remembered dream, doesn't it? There's a calculated flatness to the painting, and the colors are so deliberately chosen. They remind me of picture books. Hawk isn't afraid of narrative, and I like that. The paint application is smooth, almost like a sign painter’s touch, which distances us a little, making the scene feel both familiar and unsettling. Look at the girl digging in the yard. There's a tension between her activity and the static, almost theatrical, scene inside. It's like two worlds colliding, or maybe it's just the inside and outside of our minds. This reminds me of Balthus, but with an undercurrent of something more modern and knowing. Ultimately, the painting thrives on its ambiguity, allowing us to wander through its strange landscape and find our own meanings.