Mike Shayne, Murder Spins the Wheel, paperback cover 1970

Robert McGinnis’s paperback cover for “Mike Shayne, Murder Spins the Wheel” is full of decisive gestural brushstrokes. I can imagine him blocking out those purplish and orangey shades, pushing and pulling the paint, searching for the form. I sympathize with Robert McGinnis, trying to nail that pose, that expression. The medium is so present here – the textured surface, the way the colors vibrate against each other, how the paint creates a mood of intrigue. Look at how that one stroke of red defines the edge of her skirt, the quick daubs of light on her hair. It's like he's saying so much with so little. McGinnis knew what he was doing. He’s part of a long conversation among painters about how to capture a feeling, a story, with just the right mark. For me, painting is about embracing the unknown, trusting that something meaningful will emerge.