Traveler and the Outer Limits of the Inner Space 2017

Curator: Jana Brike invites us into a dreamscape with her 2017 acrylic painting, "Traveler and the Outer Limits of the Inner Space." I wonder what you make of it. Editor: Well, my first thought is "ethereal." It’s like stepping into a memory, a half-remembered fairytale. The figure almost glows against the deep, indigo sky. Curator: The painting certainly evokes a feeling of stepping between worlds. Brike's paintings often focus on this exploration of inner states. I'd almost call her work spiritual pop-surrealism. Editor: Spiritual pop-surrealism, I love it. The glowing lantern the figure holds feels significant. It's like she’s carrying her own light, guiding herself through this... what is it? A personal journey? A societal one? Curator: That's exactly the question Brike is inviting us to ponder. There’s a quiet tension. She’s alone but resolute, gazing at the stars. I keep returning to this feeling of reaching for the infinite, like expanding your horizons and stepping outside the norm. Editor: I see that tension. I'm interested in the almost-hidden elements too, like the ferris wheel on the left. What is the artist trying to do in situating such mundane realities next to all the magic? Does the amusement park somehow ground her in reality? Curator: Maybe it’s about finding the extraordinary within the ordinary. A reminder that even in the most seemingly fantastical setting, the everyday still exists. Like even a shooting star needs gravity to fall to earth, right? It becomes much more interesting now thinking of Brike drawing our attention to the constraints that allow wonder to come to fruition. Editor: Exactly. Or that personal exploration always takes place in conversation with other spaces. Ultimately, she is offering us a nuanced perspective on searching, longing, and place. Thank you for pointing me to see more. Curator: It’s paintings like this that remind me art is often less about finding answers, and more about refining how we ask questions. It is indeed beautiful food for thought.