Two Riders 1990

This painting, Two Riders, by Louisa Matthiasdottir, feels like it was made with a playful sense of immediacy, like she's trying to capture a memory as it flits away. The brushstrokes are broad and confident, and the color palette is bold. The painting has this wonderfully tactile quality. The paint isn't smoothed over or blended much, which leaves a satisfying surface. Look at the way the bodies of the horses and riders are built with blocks of colour that sit right next to each other, rather than blending. It's almost sculptural. Notice also the legs of the horse on the left, they are so thin and linear that they don’t quite support the weight of its body; this area has a lightness that contrasts with the more solid forms of the rest of the horse. Matthiasdottir’s work always brings Joan Mitchell to mind. Both had this incredible knack for turning landscapes into emotional landscapes, full of light and feeling. It’s a reminder that art is as much about feeling as it is about seeing.