Paradies 2019

Eckart Hahn made Paradies, a painting of birds and flowers. The flat surface is rendered with painstaking detail. The three birds are crammed into openings of glossy black. One has fully entered his hole, a little overwhelmed by the flowers which seem to be swallowing him up. The painting feels old, like an illustration from a book or a fragment from a screen. The density of the black circles contrasts with the aged appearance of the background, the dark pools draw you into the image. Looking at the flowers I'm reminded of Indian Miniature painting, and the way they are made up of lots of tiny marks. Hahn shares similarities with artists like Walton Ford, whose work also features detailed, highly coloured animals set against stylized backgrounds. Hahn seems to embrace process. Paradies feels like a glimpse into something, rather than a whole story.