Visual Storytelling

The name of another favorite artist of mine is George Tooker, and he is known as a Magic Realist. His tempera paintings also give us a view into a private world, whether disturbing or incredibly beautiful. The two examples below show these directions in his oeuvre. One is "Government Bureau" from 1956, and the second is "Window VII" from 1963. In both these pieces he suggests a storyline, but retains the mystery and sense discovery as our eyes travel around the picture while taking in the details. Surely this gives the painting an element of power as we try to make sense of the implied psychological situations.