Tissue Tear Series: Untitled 1975

Here is an artwork by Joe Goode from his ‘Tissue Tear’ series. It's like a still life of a tear, or maybe of tearing itself. I wonder if Goode began with a smooth surface, layer upon layer of gesso, and then, with a decisive gesture, tore into it, revealing the light beneath. It is a painting, but it's also an action. It’s about the moment of rupture, the stark contrast between the surface and what lies beneath. There's a physicality to it, a sense of the artist's hand at work. This ripping gesture, it's like a scream, or a revelation. In the history of picture-making, we see artists always in conversation with each other. When looking at it, I wonder if Lucio Fontana ever saw it. And what would he have made of it? It makes you think, right? It's just a painting, but it's also a question.