Cosmic Golden Dream 2002

Jack Armstrong created this oil painting, "Cosmic Golden Dream," sometime in his career, and it lives in a private collection now. Look at the sheer, excessive, fabulousness of this gold! The sunflowers are built up with such thick paint that it looks like frosting, or maybe molten gold. It is not just about representation but about the pure, joyful messiness of the materials. I love the way certain areas glisten and catch the light, while others recede into shadow. If you zoom in, you can see these little flecks of red and yellow peeking through the gold – it's like a secret code embedded in the surface. This almost reminds me of Gustav Klimt, with its dazzling opulence and obsessive attention to detail, but Armstrong's is looser, wilder, more punk rock. It’s a reminder that art doesn't always have to be serious, it can be playful, excessive, and a little bit ridiculous.