Ralph's Diner 1982

Ralph Goings made this photo-realist painting, probably in his studio, using photographs of a diner as a reference. Imagine him, carefully mixing colors to capture the shiny surfaces and cool blues of the interior. I love how the scene is both familiar and distant, like a memory. It's as if Ralph wanted to capture a typical American scene. All those perfectly lined-up stools are wonderful! You can almost feel the smooth, worn texture of the vinyl. Think about the light in this painting and how it bounces off all the surfaces. This creates a sense of depth and realism, making it so easy to imagine being there. Like other photorealists of his generation, Goings looked at the everyday world with an objective and detached eye. But it's never *just* the world: the arrangement of objects, the light, and the cool, detached palette speak to a fascination with form, too. Like a Hopper without the drama! The painting is of course also about painting.