Peep Show 1993

Doug Ohlson made this painting, called Peep Show, using what looks like thinned-down acrylic paint to create some blurry shapes. I love the way the colors bump up against each other: that chalky blue, the bright orange, and then, BAM, a big black rectangle. It’s like a stage set, and those red bars feel like curtains—or maybe prison bars? Something's going on here, right? The paint isn't trying to hide itself; you can see the strokes and the way the colors bleed into each other, especially around the edges. Look at the black area, which is not a perfect rectangle. I get the sense that Ohlson made some choices but let the paint do its thing. It reminds me a bit of some of the color field painters, like Rothko, but with a bit more funk and a wink. It's serious, but it's not *too* serious, you know? Ultimately, I think this is a piece that is open to our interpretation, and I like that about it.