Times Square 2004

Richard Estes made this painting, Times Square, and its shimmering surfaces and razor-sharp details really grab your attention. He has an approach to mark-making that feels almost photographic, yet it’s all paint, and that's really exciting to me, the process he went through to get to that result. Look closely, and you'll see how the reflections on the buildings almost melt into the street scene. He used these super smooth surfaces and blended tones to create this incredible sense of depth, a real feeling of being lost in the urban sprawl. The way he captures light bouncing off glass and metal is amazing, he creates this dizzying effect of seeing through things and into other things, it's a real feat. Estes makes me think of Gerhard Richter, who also played with the idea of painting as a way of capturing photographic images, although Richter works with a very different feel. These artists remind us that painting isn't about showing an objective truth, but offering a perspective.