15 April 1962 1962

Frank Lobdell made this oil on canvas, dated April 15, 1962, and it feels like a burst of energy committed to a surface. Look at that dominant yellow, thickly applied, with these red and white shapes fighting to get out. It's all about the process, the act of layering and scraping, pushing and pulling the paint. The texture is so important here; you can almost feel the grit of the pigment. Notice how the yellow isn't uniform; it's got this stippled effect, like a field of tiny dots vibrating against each other. Then there are these dark red shapes, one at the top and one lower down, like dark centers pulling the whole composition in. Lobdell uses line, too, like he's mapping out some hidden structure beneath the surface. It reminds me a little of Guston, but with a sunnier disposition, maybe? Both artists share that love of process, that willingness to let the painting be awkward and unresolved, because that's where the real stuff happens. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is a conversation, an ongoing experiment in seeing and feeling.