A Hot Day in the Lighthouse

Description

At first sight, this looks like a simple painting. We see two white and two blue shapes on a red field. The centre of the painting depicts a blue boat behind which we can see a white shape that could represent another boat. The white surfaces are reminiscent of windows. The blue ones could be too, but there is no light getting through. Perhaps they are shaded, or maybe there is light shining through the windows on the left that doesn’t reach the ones on the right. The title of the painting may offer some explanation. Perhaps we are in a lighthouse and its beam of light is just passing two of the windows, or maybe we are in a house looking towards a distant lighthouse. The boats do not make any logical sense the composition. If we are inside, they should be visible through a window. If we are outside we should be unable to see boats on the water in the same shot as the outer wall and the windows, unless of course the boats are painted on the wall.

René Daniëls plays around with the possibilities painting offers. He mixes indoors and outdoors, light and dark, while asking questions about reality and illusion.

[2020]

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