Lauren #2 2014

Adam Caldwell painted Lauren #2 sometime in the 20th century, probably with oils. The palette is pretty restrained, all these grays and browns, but then you notice the juicy marks. The way the paint kinda drips and bleeds, like tears or maybe something a little darker, it gives me the shivers. Those thin rivulets of brown cutting through the white cloth are like someone messing with a classical portrait. Look at the way the light hits her face. It feels almost like she's been caught in some moment of transformation. Caldwell kinda reminds me of Marlene Dumas, the way he captures the ambiguity of human emotions. It's like he's saying, "Hey, life's messy and beautiful and kinda scary all at once." And that's something I can definitely get behind. Art should mess with your head a little, right?