Bettina Sellman (Lauren's Pick)

Bettina Sellman’s recent works are watercolor portraits and figures. She uses washes of pure color on canvas to build up the subjects. The appearance of the figures quote the Baroque period of Western Europe, a time when superficiality was become prominent in society. The costume-like appearance of the paintings’ subjects reference the expectations of behavior and lifestyle that are placed on different groups of people because of their social standing.
I was first attracted to her work because of its vibrant colors and precise detail. The facial features and anatomy of the portraits are unbelievably accurate, while the watercolor adds fluidity and motion. It is the contrast of these two qualities that give her work the mask-like quality she is trying to achieve. I feel that Sellman’s stylistic choices cohere very well with her theme, giving an overall strength to this series.