Arcachon 2010

This is Bo Bartlett’s “Arcachon”, a painting of a carousel bathed in the light of, maybe, a setting sun. The colors are muted, kind of dreamy. It’s like Bartlett is painting a memory, or maybe a feeling. I’m drawn to the way he handles the paint, it's thin and washy, especially in the sky, which gives the whole scene a sense of stillness and quiet, but look closer and you'll notice the underpainting coming through. See how Bartlett creates depth not through layering, but by allowing the support to peek through? It's almost as if the painting breathes. The carousel itself is kind of mysterious, like it's not quite there, but fading. The colors are subtle, but the textures are palpable. You can almost feel the grit of the sand under your feet. It reminds me a little of Edward Hopper, but with a touch more warmth and maybe a bit of de Chirico’s surreal urban landscapes too. It's a conversation between artists, a dialogue across time and space.