Created By
Cherry Wong
Mixed media and acrylic on canvas
Curator
Jonathan Thomson
“The paradox of flight” is a large densely painted work in mixed media. It is an abstract work painted with many layers; some applied by brush others looking as if they have been poured onto the canvas. In the top half a lighter section in red and yellow suggests a flower in full bloom. In the bottom half a figure dancing with arms extended and one knee raised may also be discerned. It is a work that conveys a nervous energy.
The artwork depicts a striking contrast between the serenity of a flower at the center and the chaotic, melting elements surrounding it. The two butterflies, rendered in delicate detail, appear to be drawn to the flower's beauty and its magnetic pull, yet their wings betray a desire to escape and fly away. The color palette of black, red, purple, and gold further emphasizes the dichotomy of light and dark, freedom and restrain, and passion and melancholy.The intricate details of the butterflies' wings suggest an underlying complexity and depth to their flight, which is echoed in the melting elements that seem to be slowly crumbling and disintegrating. This juxtaposition of beauty and decay creates a sense of unease and melancholy, as if the viewer is witnessing the fragility and impermanence of life.The theme of the artwork is one of sadness and a feeling of being bound together. The butterflies, while drawn to each other and the flower, also seem to be trapped in their own flight, unable to escape the pull of their surroundings.The melting elements suggest a world that is falling apart, and the butterflies' struggle to break free conveys a sense of longing and yearning for something beyond their current reality.
Created By
Cherry Wong
150 x 200 cm | 59 x 79 in
Unframed, stretched
2023
