The Vanquished 1959

Hans Hofmann made this painting, The Vanquished, with oil paint and a whole lotta feeling. The colors are like defiant building blocks—or maybe targets? There's a big splat of black paint which looms over everything, like an oil slick. I wonder if Hans ever felt vanquished himself? He was this total powerhouse of a teacher who pushed the limits of painting. You know, sometimes, when I’m in the studio, I feel like I'm wrestling with the canvas. In this painting, that big black blob looks like something he’s trying to bury, hide, or maybe even transform. It's like he's saying, "I'm here, I’m wrestling with the canvas—with the painting—and I’m not backing down.” Painters like Hofmann are the reason I keep painting. They remind me that painting is a way to stay in the game and keep asking questions.