Silent Lover 2013

Jana Brike's painting presents us with a figure seemingly born of oil paint. The artist’s chosen medium of oil on canvas aligns it with a deep history of artmaking, while her smooth brushstrokes blend the figure with the surrounding clouds, creating a dreamy surrealism. The use of oil paint allows for layering, building up the figure’s subtle color shifts, as well as textures and details. Consider the social context of painting; an activity often associated with leisure and refinement, a profession, or a personal devotion. Brike’s technique emphasizes precision, but also an almost invisible application. There's an intensity of labor in the creation of this painting, a painstaking process through which brushstrokes give way to an ethereal form. Through a deliberate and time-intensive production, “Silent Lover” transcends the boundary of mere representation, inviting contemplation on the value of handmade images.