Abduction By Boat 1963

Robert Goodnough made this painting, Abduction By Boat, with oil on canvas. Look at those energetic, jostling shapes of red, yellow, and blue! It’s like the painting came into being through a process of shifting, emerging, and re-emerging. I can imagine Goodnough in his studio, paintbrush in hand, stepping back and forth, adding, subtracting, until the composition felt just right. I sympathize with the artist and wonder what it was like to create something so playful and dynamic. What might he have been thinking as he built up these layers of color and form? See how the paint is applied in both thick and thin layers. That bold black line cutting across the center really grabs my attention, a decisive stroke communicating intention and direction. You can really see how Goodnough embraces ambiguity and uncertainty. His work reminds us that artists are always in conversation, exchanging ideas and inspiring one another. It’s an ongoing dialogue, and that’s the beauty of painting – it allows for multiple interpretations, meanings that evolve over time.