Two Chocolate 2009

Ralph Goings painted "Two Chocolate," in oil to create an intimate still life of two doughnuts. The marks are so specific, the brushwork tight and controlled, but not without a bit of playfulness. There’s something about the way Goings handles the glaze that gets me, it's so luscious and, well, delicious. It's thick but transparent, catching the light in a way that makes you want to reach out and touch it. And notice the way he handles the edges of the donuts, blurring them ever so slightly to create a sense of depth and volume. The small highlights give the gloss of the sugar, creating a sense of realism. Goings’ hyperrealism reminds me a little bit of Gerhard Richter’s blurred paintings, but instead of exploring the nature of memory, Goings seems more interested in capturing the everyday beauty of American life. Like Pop Art, there’s a kind of deadpan humor here, but it's also deeply sincere in its appreciation of the humble doughnut.