Interior: Night 1971

Patrick Caulfield made 'Interior: Night' with flat areas of color, which gives it a graphic, almost pop-art feel. It's as though he's thought about painting as a process of layering signs, rather than trying to describe reality. The stark contrast between the red window frame and the black night sky creates a tension that I find so compelling. The smooth surfaces and crisp lines emphasize the artificiality of the scene, but there is still an emotional core, an evocation of mood, a sense of urban isolation. Look at the yellow glow under the lampshade, it feels so flat, so manufactured, but it brings warmth to the whole image. Caulfield reminds me a bit of David Hockney in his cool observation and formal rendering, but unlike Hockney, there is no overt narrative here, just pure, distilled atmosphere. It's not trying to be anything other than what it is: a meditation on color, form, and the poetry of everyday life.