I took my time in Palazzo Grassi, Venice one Sunday afternoon and discovered the magical portraits of Marlene Dumas. Many of them are ugly, distorted — far from glamour and beauty but they are so raw, so real — authentic portrayals of life.
Marlene Dumas. Dead Marilyn. 2008
It has taken me a long time to put this experience into words. Sometimes I just tend to wait and see whether, after enough time has passed, an idea continues to enchant me. It turns out that Marlene Dumas’ work remains something that I constantly think about. I spent a whole week talking to everyone about her — about what she does as an artist.