Pears, Peaches, and Pitcher 1927

Arshile Gorky made this still life of pears, peaches and a pitcher at some point, with oil on canvas. Looking at this, you can tell he wasn't afraid to let the process show. It's like he's saying, "Hey, this is how it's done, folks." The paint handling is pretty direct. Not too thick, not too thin, but you can really see the brushstrokes. Like the little jabs of green around that apple on the left – they're not trying to trick you into thinking it’s real, but they do give the eye something to chew on. There's a kind of honesty to it, a rawness that I really admire. It reminds me a little of Cezanne, in the way he's willing to break down forms and show you all the little pieces that make up the whole. A painting like this feels like an ongoing conversation, each artist riffing off the ideas of those who came before. It's not about perfection, it's about the messy, beautiful process of trying to make sense of the world.