Civil War 1994

Bo Bartlett made this large painting, titled Civil War, using oil paint and traditional techniques. Immediately, I’m struck by the color and how it's put down on the canvas. There's a subtle gradient from the bottom to the top, and a kind of pearly luminescence to the surface. The way Bartlett blends his colors is remarkable. The paint is applied in thin, almost translucent layers, creating a luminosity that makes the scene feel otherworldly. But then there are these little details like the blood in the foreground, thickly applied and dark, which disrupt that surface and force a confrontation with the image. Look at the way the water reflects the figures, distorted and elongated. It reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s smeared photos, a kind of blur between representation and abstraction. Bartlett’s work reminds us that painting doesn't have to choose between realism and expression; it can hold both in tension, creating something new and unsettling. It's like a conversation between past and present, tradition and innovation.