Finger snack 1965

Christian Attersee made this painting, Finger snack, using oil on canvas. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be Attersee in the process of making this; the shifting and emerging of these eerie finger snacks through a process of trial, error, and intuition. I love the way the thick red paint sits on the canvas, creating a bold backdrop that accentuates the four strange and surreal compositions. The way he renders the stacked cubes reminds me a little of Philip Guston, if Guston was catering for Hannibal Lecter. The texture is intriguing, each brushstroke carefully considered, and it’s this materiality that shapes my experience of the painting. That central gesture of the painting, those manicured fingers poking out from the cake, can communicate so much feeling, intention, and meaning. Artists like Attersee are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another's creativity. Painting is an ongoing conversation, and embraces ambiguity and uncertainty.