The Desert 1938

John Ferren conjured this desert mirage with oil on canvas. Just imagine him, brush in hand, coaxing these angular forms into existence. I wonder, what was Ferren chasing as he built up these layers? See how the yellows and browns create a sense of depth? The paint isn’t too thick, but Ferren’s clever color choices give the image a real weight. It's as if he’s trying to trap a fleeting thought, a spark of an idea, right there on the canvas. And those sharp, pointy shapes! They remind me of Kandinsky, but there's something uniquely Ferren about the way they jut out, almost daring you to touch them. Painting is like a conversation, right? Ferren took what he learned from the greats and added his own voice to the mix.