A Flight 2002

Vlada Ralko made "A Flight" with what looks like oil paint, and it’s all about how the paint is put down, immediate and decisive. The texture is really something here: the apple, or whatever that red blob is, it’s built up with thick strokes, almost like frosting. The green background feels thinner, scumbled, like she was pushing the paint around with a dry brush. It's all about the materiality, the sheer, stubborn stuff of paint, and how it can stand for something else. Look at how that fleshy stem is attached to the red form, it’s like a clumsy join but feels totally right. This reminds me a little bit of Philip Guston, that willingness to be awkward, to let the process show. It’s not about perfection, but about honesty, and the weird beauty that comes from that. It’s like she’s saying, "Here it is, take it or leave it."