I wouldn’t call myself a fangirl but I do make the effort to see anything by Marlene Dumas.
Mourning Marsyas is an exhibition of her recent paintings at Frith Street Gallery.
It’s worth learning about the story of Marsyas to appreciate the artist’s theme. The tone is of grief and loss which felt odd at a busy and chatty private view. I closed myself off from my surroundings which, to be honest, wasn’t hard as the work is powerful and draws you in.
Dumas’ painting does not depend on scale for impact. While some were large, those that kept me looking were modest in size.
Much is about the paint itself, what it can do.
Look at how the blue drips and congeals before forming a drop or fishtail, like some kind of evening dress.
The bubbling, encrustation and staining gives these images a sense of agedness.
They have experienced transmutation over a long period of time.
