Struggle 1967

Robert Goodnough made this painting, entitled *Struggle*, with pigment on canvas, and that feels right. It’s a struggle in the best possible way! The canvas is like a field of exploded geometric forms – squares, triangles, rectangles – all jammed together, fighting for space. The primary colors, red, blue, and green, really pop out against the blacks, whites, and grays, creating a sense of dynamic tension. I can imagine Goodnough wrestling with this composition, intuitively shifting forms around, searching for that perfect balance. There's a real sense of process here, like he's building up the painting layer by layer, decision by decision. The paint looks thinly applied, almost stained into the canvas, which gives it a lightness and transparency. That sweeping red shape cutting across the canvas – it's a bold move that really energizes the whole composition. Goodnough was clearly in conversation with other painters of his time, like the Cubists, and even the later work of someone like Mondrian. Painting is like an ongoing conversation, where each artist adds their own voice to the mix. And with *Struggle*, Goodnough brings his own unique perspective, inviting us to join in the dialogue, to feel the tension, and to find our own meaning in the midst of the chaos.