DJ Techno 2001

Albert Oehlen made this painting titled DJ Techno, and you can see how he dives right into the messy, unpredictable world of putting paint on a surface. There's a real physicality to it; thick meets thin, transparent glazes crash into opaque slabs. Notice the way the paint drips down in that central area, like some kind of strange cocktail being poured. The tools he used are almost irrelevant. What matters is the process itself. Oehlen seems to have been influenced by earlier abstract painters like Richter, but with an added layer of punk rock sensibility. He takes the language of abstract expressionism and gives it a kick in the pants. It's this ongoing conversation, this push and pull, that keeps art alive and kicking.