The Monsoon Sun 2016

Mark Maggiori painted *The Monsoon Sun*, and the painting has a kind of cinematic light, like a still from a film. I imagine he began by blocking in those great dark storm clouds with big, bold strokes. The canvas probably felt alive from the get-go. You know, making a painting can be like conducting an experiment. The artist mixes thick colors with a loaded brush, almost sculpting the shapes onto the canvas. The paint has a physicality, you can feel the artist's hand in the work. Maybe the artist was thinking about Frederic Remington and how to make a Western painting in the twenty-first century. Ultimately, each painting is a testament to the ongoing dialogue between artists, a celebration of the endless possibilities of expression. There's no right or wrong way to interpret it. Just let it take you somewhere.