Bacchus and Ariadne 1971

Frank Auerbach made this painting called 'Bacchus and Ariadne' with thick brushes and globs of paint. It's a total playground of process! The colors are intense, like he’s squeezing every bit of emotion out of the tubes. Look at the way the reds and blues crash into each other. It's a brawl! The surface is so built up, it’s practically a sculpture. I love how you can see the marks left by the brush – each stroke feels like a tiny decision, a little burst of energy. Check out the top left corner, with that yellow clashing with the blues, it’s like a sun exploding behind a storm. Auerbach reminds me a bit of Chaim Soutine, with his raw, visceral approach. But where Soutine is all about the gut, Auerbach is more like the brain, constantly rethinking and revising. Art is a messy, beautiful conversation, right? It's never about having the final word.