Sunset 2 1978

Endre Bartos made this painting, Sunset 2, with oils, and you can tell he really went at it. Look at those dominant gestural marks in a hot palette of reds and yellows fighting with the blues! I can just imagine him slathering on the paint, maybe wiping it away, adding more, shifting things around until this landscape emerged through trial, error, and intuition. I sympathize with Bartos. I know what it’s like to be in the studio trying to get it right. He was probably thinking about other painters who’ve worked in this mode, like maybe the Fauves or even some of the German Expressionists. Check out how thick that paint is, laid down in these luscious strokes! And that red sun—almost vibrating against the blue. That one gesture communicates so much feeling, intention, meaning. We are all in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. It's a conversation I am happy to be part of. Painting is all about this kind of embodied expression that embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations.