Fire 1990

Bo Bartlett made this painting, called Fire, with oil on canvas. You can really see the traces of the brushstrokes, especially in the sky, and this really gives it a sense of light and atmosphere. The way the red of the barrel just glows and the bright orange flames lick upwards makes me think about the process of making a painting itself: mixing colors, layering paint, trying to capture something so ephemeral. Look at the texture of the flames, how the strokes are so short and jagged, capturing the movement and heat. Then, see how the barrel is smoother, more solid and real. It reminds me a little of Gerhard Richter's candle paintings, but with a totally different vibe. Where Richter is all about the fading of the image and the uncertainty of vision, Bartlett is much more about the intensity of the moment. It's like he's saying, "Look at this! Isn't it amazing?"