Modern Times 1966

Ralph Fasanella made this wild, exuberant painting, "Modern Times," with oil on canvas, though I can't tell you exactly when. The surface buzzes with a controlled chaos of red and green, like some kind of socialist realist fever dream. You can almost feel the bristly, direct application of paint. There is an obvious process, and lack of classical technique, which means Fasanella's vision is all the more present, raw, and real. Take a look at the sky - a mix of red and brown swirls. They give a sense of movement, a backdrop for the towers and crowds below. The people are painted with a shorthand that reminds me of Philip Guston, with a similar commitment to representing everyday life. Fasanella shows us how art can be a tool for storytelling, for expressing complex emotions and ideas. It's a conversation across time, a constant exchange. There's a generosity to it, inviting multiple readings, always open to interpretation.