Untitled 1958

This untitled artwork by Robert Goodnough features thick impasto and a vibrant palette of white, red, blue, yellow, and black, all dancing together. I can imagine Goodnough in his studio, layering and scraping, adding and subtracting. The physicality of the paint is so present. The texture is palpable, and I bet you want to reach out and touch it. That central mass of white—it’s like a frozen explosion. And then those drips of red, so visceral, pulling the eye downward. The little spots of yellow act like tiny bursts of light. Goodnough, like many painters, was in conversation with other painters. He was influenced by the Abstract Expressionists and the New York School. His work is so full of energy and movement, but it's also carefully considered. He balances chaos and control, accident and intention. Painting is such a personal act, a way of thinking through the world, of making sense of our experiences. Artists engage with each other across time, inspiring new forms of creativity.