After School 

Barrington Watson's "After School" presents three figures rendered in a palette that oscillates between muted earth tones and vibrant blues, creating a visual rhythm that’s both calming and subtly dynamic. The composition is structured around the verticality of the figures, their forms delineated with brushstrokes that emphasize mass and volume. The interplay of light and shadow across their bodies gives them a sculptural presence, rooting them firmly within the picture plane. Watson disrupts conventional perspective, flattening the background and foreground, which brings the figures forward, engaging the viewer directly. The school uniforms, rendered in careful detail, function as signifiers of identity and social context. Watson's decision to depict these figures in such a straightforward manner invites reflection on the way individuals negotiate the structures of education and society. Through the formal elements of color, composition, and texture, "After School" engages with broader questions about representation, identity, and the construction of meaning.