The Magic Statues 2018

Martine Johanna’s ‘The Magic Statues’ presents three figures in a geometrically organized space rendered with lush oil paints. Notice the recurring figure, each pose suggesting a different facet of a singular identity, connected and yet distinct. The composition is constructed around a play of textures and colors. Shiny, iridescent fabrics drape around one figure, contrasting with the matte denim worn by all. This juxtaposition of materials destabilizes conventional readings, creating an interplay between surface and depth, and the real and the artificial. The background is suggestive, appearing both as an interior and an exterior space, blurring boundaries. Johanna challenges the viewer to reconsider fixed meanings, engaging with new perspectives on perception and representation. Ultimately, Johanna's use of color and texture serves a larger cultural discourse, questioning identity, and the multifaceted nature of the self in contemporary society.