Once Upon a Time There Was Oil II 1982

Editor: This is Terry Setch's "Once Upon a Time There Was Oil II," and the materials appear to be thickly applied. The textures and colors feel very turbulent and chaotic. What do you make of the composition? Curator: Indeed, the artist's employment of impasto and the juxtaposition of dark and lurid tones are noteworthy. Consider how the composition directs the eye; the figurative elements, however obscured, draw us into a visual field dominated by textural contrast. Editor: So, the formal elements are the key to understanding its message? Curator: Precisely. The very materiality of the paint, its application, becomes a signifier. Observe the tension created by these formal devices. Editor: I see how the paint itself tells a story. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. It's a testament to the power of form.