Family Supper 1972

Ralph Fasanella made this painting, Family Supper, with bright colours and bold outlines, capturing a slice of life that's both intimate and expansive. The paint is applied flatly, almost like enamel, giving it a graphic quality. Look at the way Fasanella renders the figures around the table. Each one is slightly different, a collection of simple shapes and lines that somehow conveys a whole personality. Then notice the green walls, the checkerboard floor, and the skyline just beyond, they all vie for attention. It reminds me of outsider art, maybe someone like Bill Traylor, who also told stories through simplified forms and vibrant colours. Ultimately, Family Supper invites us to see the world as a collection of interconnected parts, each with its own story to tell.