Window Scape 1968

Warren Rohrer made this painting, Window Scape, with what looks like oil paint, in a style that's all about how he put the paint down. The surface has got so much texture! You can see where Rohrer loaded up his brush and really dug into it. The paint's not trying to hide anything; it's thick and juicy, like frosting. There's a kind of blocky mark-making going on. Look at the patch of pink up top. It’s laid on so matter-of-factly, but it creates this dreamy, soft atmosphere. That lower right corner, with its stacked, horizontal strokes, feels solid, like a wall built one layer at a time. It reminds me of Guston, but quieter, maybe? It's like he's having a conversation with the painting, adding and subtracting, until it feels just right. It leaves you space to fill in the gaps with your own story.