Red Space 1981

Alexander Bogen made this painting, Red Space, with oil paint in no specific year. Look at that red! It's not just one red, is it? It’s a whole range, from almost brown to a searing, bright, stop-sign red. The marks are brushed on, one after the other, like layers of feeling. You can see the physicality of the paint, how it drags and pulls across the surface, catching the light. In the upper left, there's this dark patch, almost black, that looms over the rest of the painting. It's like a shadow, pushing against the light. But even that dark space is made of layers, different reds and browns fighting for dominance. Bogen is really making us feel the weight and depth of this one color. It reminds me a little of Rothko, but with a more immediate, visceral punch. It’s not so much about meditation; it’s more about sensation.