Julius Hofmann & Michael Kirkham - Ecstatic Solitude

The ambiguities in Kirkham's work imply more than a lack of clarity or an arbitrary possibility of choice. They cause a feeling of discomfort, of anxiety, or even a threat. It is because of this "gloomy" effect that the expression "uncanny2 is so adequate to describe the impression these works leave on the viewer. Sigmund Freud, in his profound analysis if the uncanny experience, mentions some situations that almost literally fit the paintings of Kirkham. 

from von Alphen, Ernst. "Animating Light: On the Work of Michael Kirkham." Ed. Kirkham, Michael et al. Michael Kirkham. Leiden: Metsenschilt, 2007.