Untitled c. 1980

Charles Clough made this untitled painting with paint on a small piece of paper. It's a wild ride of colour, more about the feeling of painting than a picture of something. I see juicy brushstrokes, like trails of thick, glossy paint squeezed right from the tube. Look at that dollop of red in the lower left corner! It’s almost cartoonish, but the way it sits there, casting a tiny shadow, brings it back to earth. And the green strokes, unapologetically bright. Clough doesn't hide his process. Each mark is a record of a decision, a playful act of layering and obscuring. It reminds me of Guston, but with a sweeter vibe. It’s like he's saying, "Here's the mess, here's the fun, here's the painting." It’s open-ended, generous. And like all good art, it invites you to bring your own questions and interpretations to the mix.