Vase 1935 - 1942

This is John Tarantino’s ‘Vase’, it’s not dated but I reckon it was made with colored pencil on paper sometime in the 20th century. I'm seeing this vase, this gorgeous plum color, sitting on what looks like a pale green table top. And I am thinking, I bet Tarantino was having fun with light, shadow, and color when he made this. Those vertical lines make me think about Philip Guston. I can imagine Tarantino sitting in front of the vase, slowly building up the layers of color, pressing down hard in some areas and letting up in others. The dark purples at the base make it feel heavy, solid. And that reflected light underneath, suggesting a shiny surface? It makes you want to reach out and touch it. Painting is like a conversation between artists across time, everyone borrowing and building on each other's ideas. It's about trying things out, not knowing exactly what will happen, and being okay with that.