Modern Art’s Duality of Discomfort and Delight

A small but mighty painting by Joseph Yaeger presents a closely cropped view of a face, dramatically lit against an indiscernible background. The harsh lighting and intimate perspective are unsettling but also enticing: a tension that is a hallmark of Yaeger's hyperreal paintings.

In Phantom Hymn (20 July–14 September 2024) at Modern Art in London, each artwork brilliantly conveys a balance between unease and allure. Included are Joseph Yaeger, Michael Ho, Michael E. Smith, and Michelle Uckotter.

Michelle Uckotter's striking oil painting, Red Kira (2024), captures a state of anticipation. A young woman in red stands by an open window framed with billowing pink sheer curtains. Her averted gaze, provocative attire, and ambiguous surroundings create an eerie atmosphere. Is she aware of being watched? Is someone about to enter the room? Uckotter's painting holds us in suspense, posing questions without definitive answers.

In a painting by Michael Ho, In Praying for Harvest to the Sun (2024), four figures are depicted ritualistically gathered on an ethereal, rocky surface. Their skin tones eerily match the desaturated ground beneath them.

Michael E. Smith's sculpture untitled (2023) features a well-worn, dusty blue armchair with a diorama of taxidermy ducks on its back. The combination of the familiar domestic object with the bizarre stuffed ducks is infuriatingly puzzling yet weirdly wonderful, embodying the exhibition's dualism of discomfort and delight.