Muse 1985

Alexander Bogen painted ‘Muse’ sometime in 1986, and from what I can see, he used oil paint on canvas. The way he’s layered the colors, you can see the process, like a conversation he’s having with the painting. There's a tension between the dark, almost oppressive background and the lighter, gestural marks that try to break through. That vibrant blue patch against the pale yellows and pinks—it’s like a burst of energy, or a hidden depth suddenly revealed. It feels thick, like the paint is piled on, demanding your attention. There's a similar feeling to some of Guston's later works, that same push and pull between abstraction and figuration, darkness and light. But Bogen’s touch is lighter, more ethereal. It’s a reminder that art is always a dialogue. We keep riffing off each other, finding new ways to see and feel.