Capriglia 2005

Doug Ohlson made this painting, Capriglia, with its vertical colour blocks in tones of orange, lavender and pink, with no indication of when or where. Isn't it funny how these simple shapes can almost give you a flavour, like a boiled sweet? He's working in a kind of conversation with people like Agnes Martin and Barnett Newman but his surface and touch is all his own. See how the matte colours create a flat surface but the different layers of paint build up a really tactile quality, like in that orange block, far left, where you can see the texture of the brush marks? The vertical bars are offset by other rectangular forms, which seem to float in the painted space. The painting doesn't give you anything, you have to meet it halfway and it's that in-between space where meaning happens. It’s not about knowing the ‘right’ answer, but enjoying the conversation.