Large Still Life 2018

Russ Warren’s, ‘Large Still Life,’ gives you everything you need to know right there in the title. There are a few bottles and a few apples and the whole thing is large, so that’s a good start. I’m drawn to the physical qualities of this painting; Warren’s mark-making is really present. The painting has this fantastic crinkly texture, like thick impasto that’s been roughly handled. I can almost feel the grit of the pigment on the surface. That purple shadow running around the objects gives it a slightly menacing air, but I am happy with that. I am happy that this isn't just some still life, made for the sake of it, it's interesting. It feels like it’s related to Marsden Hartley's late paintings. They also have a kind of gnarly awkwardness, and an intense feeling. It's a reminder that paintings don’t have to be perfect to be powerful.