What I liked
I loved the live painting and the satisfyingly real mess it created, and the very effective and unexpected use of projection, animation, and sound design. The joyous dance party moment, which the audience was invited to take part in, felt truly fun and connected to the heart of the piece; that’s something that will stick with me for a long time!
What I didn't like
I was internally begging this show to be even messier with the paint but I’m sure they had a deposit to get back :/
My overall impression
The Gallery is a truly unique and clever two-hander. Its characters begin the show completely immersed in seemingly unrelated actions – one painting a portrait of the other, and one repeatedly miming through their morning/evening routine. Over time, the artist’s increasingly experimental portraits of their muse disturb his peace and rattle his sense of identity. It was an ambiguous show with a lot of room for interpretation; you sort of had to be there, and I liked that! I really resonated with the central tension between the artist and their muse (who was, perhaps, their creativity anthropomorphized) and both of their struggles to reconcile a primal urge to live freely, from a place of joy, within a society with rigid standards of success.
