Muffler 2016

Camilla d'Errico made this painting, Muffler, using what looks like watercolour to build up layers of colour on the paper. I love that in watercolour you can see the traces of the process, the marks and the layering, like a map of the artist's thinking. The pinks and whites of the giraffe 'muffler' are built up from lots of different washes to create depth. It's interesting to see how the colours build up around the girl's face, and how that is framed with fur - or hair, it's hard to tell. There's a lot of detail in the eyes, so much so that each one is a different colour, this lends an otherworldly quality to the piece, and gives us a clue to what d'Errico is trying to convey. This embracing of surreal and fantasy elements reminds me of Remedios Varo's paintings. Like Varo, d'Errico uses smooth surfaces, combined with slightly unsettling imagery to create a world of dreams.