Two Figures in a Golden Land 1965

Roland Petersen made this painting, "Two Figures in a Golden Land," and it’s a playground of color and texture, isn't it? He doesn't just mix colors; he throws them together in little heaps that tickle the eye. Look at how the paint sits on the canvas, thick and juicy, like little dollops of frosting. You can almost see the dance of his hand, the way he loaded the brush and swiped it across the surface. Notice the way the blues in the foreground pop against the yellows in the 'golden land.' It's not just about what you see, but how you see it – Petersen's vibrant strokes remind me of Diebenkorn, both reveling in the sheer joy of paint. "Two Figures in a Golden Land" isn't trying to trick you into thinking it’s real. It’s a reminder that painting is a conversation, a back-and-forth between the artist, the paint, and the world. There’s no one way to read it, and that's the beauty of it.