Six Strawberries and a Smile 2020

Milt Kobayashi made this painting with fluid brushstrokes and juicy globs of paint. It’s a vision in red and white. Imagine the artist leaning over the canvas, playfully dabbing on the red dots that scatter across the painting, a bit like the skirt of a flamenco dancer. I imagine Milt Kobayashi, in his studio, thinking about Manet and perhaps Alice Neel while making this. I see him smirking slightly as he added the black cake stands with strawberries to each. It’s got a quirky vibe! Like, what’s up with the strawberries? That strong red backdrop really pushes the figure forward, while those confident, gestural marks create a sense of immediacy. This painting feels alive, like a fleeting moment captured in a swirl of color and emotion. It reminds me that we are all just influencing each other and remixing our visual reality.