San Luis Obispo 1999

Eyvind Earle's "San Luis Obispo" is like stepping into a dream of super-crisp, geometric forms, painted with the smooth, almost airbrushed surfaces you find in graphic design, and this piece has that sensibility. It really underscores how artmaking is, at its heart, a process of selection and distillation. The color palette is striking. The greens and blacks are so rich and deep, they feel like they could swallow you whole. The textures are fascinating, too, because even though the paint application is incredibly smooth, there’s still a sense of depth, particularly in the way the light catches the tops of the trees, which feels like the result of many layers. Take a look at the rolling hills in the background; each one is carefully delineated, creating a sense of infinite space that's both inviting and a little unsettling. Earle's work often reminds me of Charles Burchfield, who found a similar, almost eerie beauty in the American landscape. Like Burchfield, Earle embraces ambiguity, inviting us to find our own meanings in the spaces between the forms.