Three Figures 1968

Dino Aranda's "Three Figures" is made up of oil on canvas and feels like an exploration, a real dive into the act of painting itself. The palette is subdued, earthy, creating a sense of depth and mystery, but it's how the paint's applied that really grabs you. Thick, almost sculptural marks create these figures, but they’re also sort of dissolving. Look at how the light catches the ridges and valleys, adding this amazing texture. It’s like he's building and eroding at the same time. There's this tension between the literal bodies depicted and the abstract qualities of the paint. It reminds me a bit of Guston, who was similarly interested in distilling the figure through simple and childlike mark making, as if they are half remembered, or half imagined, like ghosts, or memories. It's about seeing and feeling, and maybe not fully knowing, which is what makes art so alive.