Love is the Law 2010

Adam Caldwell made 'Love is the Law' sometime in the 20th century, but the exact date is unknown and I wonder what that reveals about how we value artwork? Looking at this painting, I can feel Caldwell wrestling with the here and now. Like, how do we make sense of this crazy, mixed-up world? See how he’s pieced together these different scenes—a woman's face, a street scene, an interior with a statue? It's like flipping through channels, trying to find something real. I sympathize with Caldwell – it’s hard being an artist and putting something new into the world! You want to make something real and substantial, not just repeat what’s already been done. There's a raw honesty in the brushstrokes, a sense of urgency. It reminds me a little bit of David Salle's collage paintings. I imagine Caldwell and Salle are in some sort of dialog, or maybe Caldwell even encountered Salle's work in a museum. I see artists as being in an ongoing conversation. That’s what makes art so exciting, this back-and-forth across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways.