Dauntless in a Trashed World
Chloe Wise, 2024, Oil on canvas
The oeuvre from which this piece comes is concerned with what happens in the moment when surrounding chaos is held at bay, outside the frame. Dauntless in a Trashed World captures this theme well, as we see in the subject a wild abandon that emerges not from uncomplicated joy or repose but a wild determination to laugh amid folly. The narrowness of the canvas invites the viewer to wonder briefly about what exits beyond this snapshot; and yet, we are not called to dwell on what this “trashed world” is; rather, we rest with the airiness of the subject’s shirt, the pinkness of her flesh, and the complete committal of her smile.