Oriental Landscape 1998

This is Robert Keyser's "Oriental Landscape", made in 1995, a dance of line and shape on paper. It’s like Keyser’s brain was just humming, translating inner rhythms into something visible. Look at the black lines—they wiggle and jiggle, they quiver and tick. They seem almost nervous, outlining forms that hint at a landscape but never quite land. It's a process, not a picture. The red bars punctuate the space, like musical rests, while the gray shapes at the bottom feel like architectural ruins. The gray shapes are like anchors, holding down the frenzy above. And isn't that what art is all about? Holding chaos and calm in the same breath. There is something reminiscent of Guston’s late work here, the same awkwardness, the same generosity. It’s not about perfection; it's about the conversation.