All Across I 2013

Aaron Nagel created this painting, using oil on canvas, to build up a world of layered emotion. The figure emerges from the darkness, bisected by a thick, black stripe—a stark contrast against her skin. I imagine Nagel, brush in hand, circling this figure, building up layers of paint, each stroke a decision, a correction, an evolution. He is using the language of figurative painting to explore psychological territory. The black marks in the background read like gestures in their own right, almost like characters in a play. What was he thinking as he laid down that band of black, so absolute and uncompromising? How does it feel for the figure to be divided in this way? I love how the artist uses the material qualities of oil paint, building up layers of meaning through color, contrast, and form. These choices speak volumes about how artists use painting to explore ideas, feelings, and experiences. It is a reminder that art is always in conversation, with artists borrowing, responding to, and transforming the ideas of those who came before.