Nafta III Painting

Eva De Vlam's desolate landscapes and interiors have a highly alienating quality on the one hand, and familiarity on the other. Her preference for the juxtaposition of light and shadow in mostly deserted places, buildings and terrains often evokes recognition in the viewer, but it also gives a feeling of alienation and distance. We see architecture as it once was. We briefly see its greatness, and also its story, while destruction and decay have already struck. Eva has a sharp, photographic eye, she doesn't miss any detail; the viewer should proceed slowly when looking. We see the reflection of the light on worn tiles and cupboard doors, the light on the water in the abandoned swimming pool, while nature gradually and inevitably takes over the space. Buildings get overgrown with moss, they crumble and rot. The rough skin of paint, applied with a palette knife, supports the theme of decay. The works betray the passing of time and make us reflect on our own finiteness. A melancholic touch that she has in common with Romantic painters of the 19th century. The extensive palette of color nuances is an understated ode to the beauty of decay. You see what time does, the silence in her work is audible.