“-that Scarlet Letter it had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself.”
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

Red – the color of blood:  both the flush beneath the skin, from heat or cold, shame or arousal, as well as spilt blood:  the wounding of the body, the red poppies of the battlefield.  There is a rawness to the exposed flesh – the colors push past naturalism to portray a perpetual flush.  It is as if a layer of skin has been peeled back, revealing not only the blood and bone beneath, but an emotional core: the telltale blush that betrays our most hidden fears and desires.

Each painting zooms in on a point of contact:  fingertips pull at the skin, hands clasp over an unknown object, red berries spill forth from parted lips.  “These images are painted with jewel-like exactitude recalling memento-mori images drawn from 16th century Dutch still-lifes. It is as if some ancient rite of self-mortification is being re-enacted, in sensationalistic slow motion, for a mass audience.” (Dominique Nahas)