Fresh Daily 2010

Ralph Goings made this realist painting of doughnuts in a bag with oil paint, sometime around 2010. Look at the way he’s captured the light. It’s all about the process of seeing, of describing what’s there on the canvas, and he takes that pretty seriously. I’m interested in how Goings has created a sense of depth using colour. You can almost feel the difference between the smooth bag and the slightly greasy doughnuts. Look at how the glaze on the ringed doughnut catches the light, or the soft crumbliness of the chocolate one. It’s not just about representing a subject. It’s about how these material elements shape our experience of the artwork. This painting reminds me of the work of Wayne Thiebaud. Both artists use everyday objects and explore a painterly process. Ultimately, art invites us to explore different ways of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world.