Spring Bridge 1986

Robert Qualters’s Spring Bridge is layered with lively brushstrokes in a full range of greens, reds, and blues. I imagine Qualters starting this painting with a very basic structure, maybe only indicating the main shapes. The painting probably shifted and emerged through trial, error, and intuition. Qualters is from Pittsburgh, so he probably knows this location well and has crossed the bridge many times. He might have been thinking about all the seasons he experienced on that bridge. The paint is thick, and the colours pulsate with meaning. Look at the way the sky is evoked with small patches and dabs. That gesture evokes not just light and space, but also a feeling of growth and renewal. The overall effect reminds me of other American painters who depict their local urban scenes. I find it inspiring how artists like Qualters engage in an ongoing conversation with one another across time, inspiring creativity with their unique perspectives and approaches to painting. It's not about one fixed way of seeing, but allowing for multiple readings and meaning to emerge over time.