New Quarter 2003

Tal R made this painting, called 'New Quarter', with big, clunky gestures, a whole lot of color, and what looks like a good dose of intuition. I can almost see him shifting things around, responding to the painting as it grew on the canvas. Looking at this work, I imagine Tal R thinking about community, about architecture, and about the ways we create spaces together. The paint is laid on kinda thick, right? Each color feels so distinct, almost like he's building something up, piece by piece. Take that row of figures across the foreground, for example. They are like stand-ins, totems maybe, with each brushstroke giving them a kind of presence. The whole thing feels playful, almost like a stage set. I see echoes of other painters too, like maybe some Philip Guston, or even Milton Avery. It makes me think about how we artists are always in conversation with each other, snagging ideas, and messing around with them, across time. Tal R’s painting isn’t trying to nail down one single meaning. Instead, it’s open, it’s searching, and that’s what makes it so alive.