Upper Manhattan 1917

Thomas Hart Benton made this painting, Upper Manhattan, with oil paint, and the whole thing feels very of-the-moment, immediate. You can see how the marks were made, gestural and full of energy, the process is right there on the canvas. There’s something very physical about the paint application – thick, opaque strokes that build up the forms, but also, look at the way he uses color to define shapes, not just to decorate them. See how the reds and oranges push forward, while the blues and greens recede? The way the colors vibrate against each other creates this amazing sense of depth and movement. Take the tree on the left – it's almost abstract, but still feels like a tree. And the way he’s captured the light hitting the rooftops is masterful, each stroke is so considered. It reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley, or maybe even some of the early German Expressionists. It's all about feeling, more than just seeing. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation, and that there’s always more than one way to see the world.