A Beautiful Flying Object Made of White Fabric Floating Just Above the Ground 2022

Owen Gent, sometime in the 20th century, painted ‘A Beautiful Flying Object Made of White Fabric Floating Just Above the Ground’—sounds like a title by Magritte, right? The way Gent handles paint is quite delicate, almost tentative, building up layers of translucent color. I’m thinking of Georgia O’Keefe. It’s really about this idea of capturing a fleeting moment, like trying to hold onto a dream as you wake up. The texture is smooth, the color transitions are gradual, giving it this soft, airy quality. Look at the floating form. It’s not quite a cloud, not quite a balloon. It's painted with such restraint, such a light touch that it feels like it could disappear any second. And the shadow of the top object reflected on the lower, does that ground the work, or release it? It’s like Gent is playing with the idea of the ephemeral, the transient nature of beauty. It’s about feeling, more than seeing, and that’s what makes it so special.