A Splendid Superior Home 1989

This is A Splendid Superior Home by Howard Arkley, it’s made with acrylic paint, and I’m guessing it was done sometime in the late 20th century. Arkley's got this great way of turning the everyday into something totally electric. I mean, look at the colors! They’re so bold and unapologetic. It's like he's cranked up the saturation dial on reality. But it’s not just the colors, it’s how he uses those thick black outlines that remind me a little of stained glass. They give the whole thing this graphic, almost comic book-like feel. And those little details, like the texture on the front of the house, it's like he’s inviting you to run your hands over it. It all adds up to something that’s both familiar and totally strange, like Edward Hopper on acid. He reminds me of David Hockney, both have this way of taking something ordinary and making it feel like a Technicolor dream. This is a painting that doesn’t just show you a house; it shows you a way of seeing the world.