Curator’s Choice: Between the Night by Shilo Ratner
It’s no secret that life in the 2020’s can feel… chaotic. That’s why we’ve selected Between the Night by Shilo Ratner for this month’s Curator’s Choice. An abstract geometric painting, it features panes of muted cool colors which are balanced by just a few pops of warm red, and seamlessly marries architectural elements with the vague familiarity of a landscape. Read on to learn more about the painting, and why we’ve chosen it as this month’s Curator’s Choice – particularly at a time when drowning out the hecticness of everyday life can feel borderline impossible.
What It’s About
“I strive to visually depict consciousness through the spatial organization of architectural and natural landscapes alike, with particular attention to color as a foundation,” the artist, Shilo Ratner says. “While my work may easily be interpreted as geometric abstract landscapes, my hope is that the still intensity of my compositions will demand attention to a centered calmness within the chaos of our present day.”
Blue, teal, neutral grey and bright red shapes are layered over one another to create this abstract geometric piece. The painting’s layers are numerous and varied, but frozen nonetheless, playing to the artist’s goal of juxtaposing chaos and stillness in a single frame.
Where It Works
At 48″ x 48″, this statement painting is ideal as a center focus – on large, open walls, or above a sofa or mantle. The geometric style pairs perfectly with mid-century modern or contemporary furniture, while the rich palette adds vibrancy to light, neutral spaces. For those with a bold color scheme in their space, pair it with deep, cool-colored furniture to help draw out the beautiful blues of this painting.
Why We Love It
First, we love that the palette is at once vibrant and balanced – the artist hasn’t shied away from taking risks with color, and to us, it totally works. But it is Between the Night’s particular use of line that we love so much. The planes of color are rendered in perspective, so that they recede into a fragmented horizon, giving the viewer a gravitational sense of an imaginary landscape. It is this visual depth where we find the tranquility that the artist has set out to create in a hectic, modern space.
