It strikes me that these paintings (nine of them shown), and many paintings, would be excellent practice for noticing things. That memory game where you look at a picture for 5, 10, 20 seconds and then without looking at it name all the things you saw. Then you look at it again and notice all the things you missed. And have you added something that wasn’t really there?
Play with a partner who can ask you hurtful accusatory things like, “What’s the moon phase?” and “How many leaves do the two potted plants have?” and “What pattern is the banquette?”
“[Alfie] Caine’s worlds operate at all levels; in the architecture and the expanses of fantasized countryside beyond their windows, down to the minutiae of cutlery, floor tiles and freshly picked wildflowers. These details draw the viewer closer in as we are offered places to sit, to stand, to rest and observe these objects and viewpoints from, as we take the place of the missing inhabitants. However, Caine always leaves a little concealed within his world to maintain the feeling of anticipation and curiosity that drives his painting; we, like Caine, are left to wonder and imagine what might exist within those spaces he has left for us.”
Anna Monks in a press release quoted at Booooooom, 21 Feb. 2021
Featured image: detail from another Alfie Caine painting