Vertical Gray 1985

Robert Goodnough made this painting, called "Vertical Gray", by collaging painted paper onto canvas. The gray field gives a ground for the interplay of hundreds of small white triangles. Though abstract, these shapes evoke a flock of birds taking flight. This imagery is consistent in Goodnough's work, but what is most compelling about this particular painting is how the shapes sit on the canvas. Each individual painted paper has its own qualities, as it is directly placed onto the canvas. This gives the painting a great sense of physicality; it's as much an object as an image. By incorporating methods of collage, assemblage and painting, Goodnough blurs the line between process, material and artistic expression.