Medicine 2018

Soey Milk seems to have made this painting, Medicine, using loose brushwork and a muted palette, conjuring a dreamlike scene. Imagine Milk building up layers, scraping back, and then adding more—a real conversation with the canvas. I feel for Milk, here—the challenge of balancing representation with abstraction, to create something both intimate and otherworldly. The figure is central, but she's surrounded by a flurry of patterns and drippy washes. The paint application is thin, and it allows the underlayers to peek through. There is a gesture of the hand. It's so soft and inviting. You know, it reminds me a little of Marlene Dumas, but with a bit more collage. Ultimately, I think painting is about embracing ambiguity and uncertainty. Milk is in dialogue with so many painters, past and present. This piece lets us consider multiple interpretations, resisting one fixed meaning.