Eirinie 2019

Aaron Nagel’s painting “Eirinie” is a portrait made with oils, probably relatively recently, given the artist’s birth date. It’s a study in contrasts, really. The background is this murky darkness, built with layers that make you think about the process. Against that, the subject is rendered with incredible detail. Look at how the light catches the curls in her hair, or the subtle gradations of tone on her face. The paint handling is so controlled and precise in these areas. Then, at the bottom, Nagel lets the underpainting show through, almost like he couldn’t be bothered to finish. I love that. It’s like a little secret, reminding us that even the most polished images are built from messy, uncertain beginnings. It is the realness of the unfinished in conversation with the hyperreal nature of the painting that is compelling. It makes me think of Lucian Freud, another painter who wasn't afraid to leave the grit and the struggle right there on the surface.