City #36 Part 2 1978

Richards Ruben made this painting, City #36 Part 2, with oil paint and I want to say it’s a painting about process. It’s got these beautiful, sandy hues, like a sun-baked landscape, split by a dynamic diagonal. The colors are almost monochromatic, but the texture is where it gets exciting. You can really see the thickness of the paint and the way Ruben has built up the surface. It makes you want to reach out and touch it. That diagonal cut isn’t just a line, it’s an event. It's a raw, almost violent gesture that disrupts the calm of the orange and forces the eye to move. There's something almost expressionistic about the physicality of that dividing line. Ruben’s work reminds me a bit of Antoni Tàpies. Both artists share this love for materiality and the beauty of simple forms. This piece isn’t trying to give you all the answers, it invites you to bring your own questions, your own experiences, to the canvas.