WG.84

Marjolein Rothman
And so it Stays

In Marjolein Rothman's paintings, reality slips right through your fingers. Take the Zeno series, several paintings from which are included in her exhibition at Wetterling Gallery. Each one shows a mother and child standing by the sea. The boy, who is about two years old, is about to walk into the water, but his mother stops him just in time. The way she does that is both graceful and familiar: she sweeps her left arm over his chest in what appears to be a warm embrace, even as her arm forms an insurmountable barrier. At the same time, she lays her head on his shoulder to leave no doubt of her love for him. The ambivalence of her position will strike a chord with any parent: you want to protect your child against the consequences of recklessness, but you don't want to give the impression that you're imposing your own will too much and taking away the child's freedom. That dilemma is also what we find in Marjolein Rothman's way of working.