No Harm Done 2021

Kayla Mahaffey made this painting, “No Harm Done” sometime in the 20th Century, using a range of techniques to bring to life this playful scene. The surface is smooth, the colors are bright and bold, and everything's outlined, like a cartoon, but then the central figure, the kid with the hammer, is rendered with a striking realism. It's an odd but compelling contrast. The background is like a vibrant, simplified forest. Look how Mahaffey renders the texture of the wolf’s fur, each strand distinct, almost tangible against the flat, glossy planes of the cartoon character it accompanies. It’s a juxtaposition that heightens the surreal quality of the image. I’m reminded of Peter Saul, with his own mix of the cartoonish and the violent. Like Saul, Mahaffey embraces a kind of visual chaos. But it’s a joyful chaos, a reminder that art, like life, is rarely neat and tidy, and often more interesting when it isn’t.