On the Edge 2010

Ralph Goings made this oil painting, ‘On the Edge,’ in 2010. It depicts a chocolate-glazed doughnut, realistically rendered with precise detail against a bright blue background. Goings was a key figure in the Photorealist movement of the late 1960s and 70s in the United States. Photorealism emerged during a period of significant social and political upheaval, challenging the dominance of abstract expressionism and minimalism. Artists like Goings turned to everyday subjects, from diners and trucks to, as we see here, doughnuts, rendered with photographic accuracy. But there is always selection at play. Think of it as a visual language through which artists could engage with contemporary American culture. The movement invited viewers to reconsider the ordinary, and perhaps, critique the growing consumerism of the time. The study of Photorealism requires attention to the art market, gallery systems, and the social context.