Exhibition in an Unfriendly Landscape 1992

Conroy Maddox made this painting, "Exhibition in an Unfriendly Landscape," with paint, sometime in the 20th century. This is a theatrical space built with quick, rough brushstrokes. The colours are bold yet muted, like scenery flats under dim lighting. The textures here feel raw, the paint laid down with an urgency that suggests the landscape is not quite stable. Look at the red structure on the left, it’s got these dark voids, like eyes staring back at us. What is it about this strange landscape that makes it so unfriendly? The brushwork is direct, almost clumsy, which I find appealing. It’s this awkwardness that gives the painting its unsettling power. Maddox reminds me a bit of Dorothea Tanning, with her strange, psychologically charged spaces. They both create worlds that are familiar yet deeply strange, inviting us to wander through our own subconscious. Ultimately, Maddox isn't handing us answers; he’s inviting us to bring our own interpretations to the scene.