Bumper 1982

Peter Alexander made "Bumper" with paint on canvas. It's interesting how the light seems to come from within the forms. There’s a lovely contrast in textures, between the smooth dark ground and the built-up surfaces of the two shapes. On the left, you've got this field of white dots, neat and orderly up top, then dissolving into a more chaotic, scattered field of white. On the right, a pink circle with yellow lines, looking almost like some strange deep-sea creature. The paint isn't trying to hide itself, it's right there on the surface, doing its thing. These aren't just shapes; they're events, frozen in time. I wonder if Alexander was looking at Vija Celmins and her night sky paintings, so meticulous and detailed. It reminds us that art is a conversation. It's okay to be puzzled, it's okay to feel multiple things at once. That’s where the real fun begins.