Old Flame 1974

Ron Gorchov made "Old Flame" with paint, probably oil, and canvas or wood; hard to say exactly. What is clear is that he was feeling the red. It has a lovely, tactile quality, like you could lick it, like a boiled sweet. The way that color just sits there, it's not trying to be anything other than itself. You see those two vertical white marks, they interrupt the red somehow, like gashes or scars. Look closely, though, and you can see how softly they're done, almost brushed on. This piece is about feeling, feeling through color, and about how a physical gesture becomes a painting. It reminds me a little of some of Brice Marden's works on marble. There is a shared interest in simplicity and repetition of form, where slight variations can make a big difference. It’s like a conversation between artists across generations, about how much can be said with so little.