ÜBER DEN DÄCHERN 2014

Neo Rauch made this painting, Über Den Dächern, using oil paint to create a scene that feels both familiar and totally strange. The muted, earthy tones give it this old-world vibe, like a faded photograph, but then these pops of bright yellow and pink jolt you back to the present. Look at the way the paint is applied, it's not trying to hide anything. You can see the brushstrokes, the texture of the canvas. It’s like Rauch is saying, "Hey, this is a painting, made by a person, with paint." I'm drawn to the odd details, like the figures holding those weird objects – a star glove and a toy airplane. What does it all mean? I have no idea, but it makes me want to invent my own stories. Rauch reminds me of Philip Guston, in the way he embraces this kind of quirky, personal symbolism. It’s not about answers, it’s about possibilities.