Fighter 2006

Carmen Delaco made "Fighter," with, what looks like, oil paint, and a limited palette. It’s a painting that embraces process; you can see the hand of the artist in every stroke. The material aspects are crucial here. Look at the texture, that redness laid on thick, and the physicality of the medium. It's not about hiding the work; it's about the energy of applying paint. There's this patch of raw red above the head, almost like a wound or a halo, depending on your mood. It’s visceral, and it makes you feel something, right? Delaco's got this rawness that reminds me of Soutine, that intensity of emotion and the willingness to let the paint do the talking. It’s not pretty, but it’s real. And in art, as in life, sometimes the real stuff is the most beautiful. There’s no one right way to see it, and that's the point.