Drinking sisters 2014

Nick Alm painted these Drinking Sisters, using oil on canvas, with an assured, almost classical technique. The subdued colours here feel like he’s searching for something, maybe a way to deal with the intensity of the scene by muting the tones. Look at the hair, how it becomes almost like another substance, an extension of the table cloth, shiny and heavy, obscuring the faces. It's like paint itself, thick and flowing, and you can almost feel the weight of it. The way he's used the paint creates a real sense of texture, from the smoothness of the white dresses, to the floral design on the table. It's not just about what's being represented, but also about the act of painting, the physical, gooey nature of the medium itself. There’s something here that reminds me of Paula Rego, the way she captures complex emotions, and the kind of psychological intensity Rego brings to her portraits. It's like Alm is inviting us to dive into the messy, unresolved aspects of human experience.