Acuity by Eleonor Andersson in New York

This oil painting is a large-scale surrealist self-portrait featuring bold colors and rich textures. Drawing inspiration from the symbolism of the surrealist movement, eyes are one of Andersson’s central motifs, representing the locus of human consciousness. When painting, she saves the eyes for last, appreciating how their addition breathes life into the subject. The many eyes serve to directly address the viewer: as you inspect the painting, the painting returns your gaze, inspecting you in return. The viewer’s process of observation is reflected back at them, aiming to provoke introspection and discomfort. Andersson’s goal is for her many eyes to draw in the viewer, making them wonder what she is seeing that they cannot. She views the act of portraiture as an act of self-discovery and hopes to evoke similar self-reflection in the viewer.