White et Rosé 2010

Curator: We're standing before Bram Bogart's "White et Rosé," created in 2010. He's known for his, let's say, 'thick' approach to abstract expressionism, specifically using oil paint in what we call matter painting. Editor: Thick is an understatement! It’s like a trowel attacked a canvas. I’m getting a… well, almost edible impression from this one. The pink, the creamy white—it's like a deconstructed Neapolitan ice cream cake. Curator: Edible abstraction, I like it. Bogart builds these canvases almost sculpturally, layer upon layer of impasto. It becomes about the physical properties of the paint itself, the viscosity, the texture. Editor: Right. Semiotically, the layering and the raw texture push against the traditional illusionistic depth of painting. It’s not about representing something, it *is* something, almost like a relief map where the mountains are just blobs of paint. Curator: Exactly. He's breaking down that picture plane, moving the painting into a third dimension. The choice of colours—this strong, almost childlike palette—plays into that. The “White et Rosé” title hints at that playfulness, but there is an undercurrent of something quite monumental in its physicality, wouldn't you say? Editor: It certainly carries a presence. The stark colours and brutal application create a visceral response. Looking closely, the individual strokes show so much weight, as if the very act of creation was a wrestling match. But you’re right—there’s a weird comfort too. A monument to joyful, messy making. Curator: The emotional tension between boldness and gentleness really defines this work, and Bogart's oeuvre in general. His ability to build form and then obliterate any trace of traditional imagery is both shocking and strangely comforting. Editor: Ultimately, Bogart leaves us not with a picture, but with a kind of raw residue – the aftermath of pure artistic gesture rendered in solidified pigment. Fascinating stuff, isn’t it? Curator: Absolutely. A perfect example of materiality speaking for itself, and us eavesdropping on the conversation.