El Leton, Flamenco Guitarist 1978

Frank Mason made "El Leton, Flamenco Guitarist," using subtle tonal shifts of dark and light to create a captivating portrait of a musician. I can almost feel Frank standing in front of the canvas, building up this figure from darkness. The thick application of paint gives a tactile presence to the guitarist and the instrument. It reminds me of some of the old masters, like Caravaggio, who also loved playing with light and shadow. The guitarist's expression is so intent, so focused. I bet Frank was trying to capture that feeling when you're completely lost in the music. Painters are always in conversation with each other, you know? I bet Frank looked at a lot of other portraits, trying to figure out how to make this one his own. And now, here we are, looking at his painting, thinking about what it means to capture a moment in time. It's like a big, never-ending game of telephone, but with paint.