Reflective Encounters

“When you’re in the Icelandic mountains it can feel as if you’re on another planet, yet somehow it remains familiar. The healing properties of the volcanics springs, and even the benefits of the country’s air are a comfort compared to the clinical coldness we normally associate with modern healthcare.

The textured brush strokes of On the Surface give a feeling to the landscapes and waters they seek to portray. The foam of a wave is evoked powerfully through a single splash of white paint, momentarily glimpsed, yet quickly disappearing before another appears. There’s an excellent shot of the water washing over toes on the shore. Such tactility reinforces the theme of the body’s relationship to the land it inhabits. A Black woman swimming in the lake is a part of this land, even though she may simultaneously see herself as apart from it, reflecting one of the potential peculiarities of the immigrant experience. This ambivalence is given voice by a narrator that shares with the viewer experiences of casual microaggressions and racism within healthcare. As a result, the relaxing ambience rendered by the beautiful aesthetics is given a palpable political weight.”

— Cathy Brennan