Pine Barrens Tree Frog 1983

Andy Warhol made this Pine Barrens Tree Frog, and you can see how he plays with color, not like a naturalist, but with a kind of pop zing! The flat areas of red, green, and yellow aren't trying to trick your eye, but instead create a graphic jolt, echoed by that scribbly white outline. It's as if the frog is outlined in neon, making it jump out from the dark blue ground. It's not really about frogs, it's about how we see, and how images get stuck in our heads. Look at the way the branch is rendered, purple on dark blue, these choices feel instinctive, like he’s improvising with color. You can see this kind of bold simplicity in the work of someone like Alex Katz, where flat areas of color are used to create a strong, immediate impression. This piece reminds us that art is often less about what you paint, and more about how you paint it. There's a conversation always happening!