It's the eyes you see first—wide and fearful but ferocious. Crouched at the bathroom of a mattress that has been tautly stretched to form a perfect circle, is a women. Her head and hands are visible. She has an open book before her and a page held between her teeth. Shielding her is a chair that has been Impaled with arrows. A crimson curtain hangs on one side, perhaps obscuring or revealing the eater of books. For now, she seems safe. Until you realise that her body has been swallowed by the black and white serrations of the houndstooth pattern that forms the canvas for this painting. Is she pulling herself out or will the rest of her be dragged in?
7 February 2018
