Twilight Time 1979

Alexander Bogen made "Twilight Time" with oil paint, and you can see how he built up the surface, layer by layer. It feels like he was trying to capture something fleeting, like a memory or a dream. I imagine Bogen standing in front of his easel, squinting at the scene before him. Maybe it’s a landscape, or maybe it's something he saw in his mind's eye. The paint is thick in places, especially in that dark band across the middle, which gives it a real sense of depth. Then, in the upper part, it's a kind of soupy, atmospheric wash. There’s something almost Rothko-esque about the way the colors blend and bleed into each other. That little orange flash near the top—it's like a tiny spark of hope or defiance amidst the gloom, a bit like Guston, but more subtle. It’s all about feeling, not about telling a story. Bogen invites us to bring our own experiences and emotions to the canvas, and that’s what makes it so powerful.