Central Park 2 2016

Albrecht Behmel made *Central Park 2*, an oil on canvas painting with small brushstrokes of vibrant greens, reds, yellows, and blues. Look at how the painting comes into being through the accumulation of individual marks. I'm trying to imagine what it was like for Behmel to create this work. The city is an interesting subject for a landscape painter. Is he thinking about the relationship between nature and artifice? I imagine him standing back, squinting, adding another dab, maybe with a sigh, maybe with a grin. The texture isn't super thick, but the colors definitely pop. What's great about his use of the brush is how each little gesture communicates a feeling like a mosaic. Behmel’s approach here reminds me of other artists interested in capturing the ephemeral quality of light and atmosphere, like Monet. Artists are always in conversation, you know? *Central Park 2* celebrates the joyful, vibrant, and ever-changing character of urban life.