Crystal Light 2016

Erin Hanson made this painting, Crystal Light, with expressive brushstrokes. It's like the landscape has been exploded into facets of color, so that even the shadows seem to glow with an inner light. Look at the ground, the way she's built it up with these thick, juicy strokes of orange, green, and violet. Each dab of paint feels deliberate, a decision made in the moment, not trying to blend or smooth anything over. It's all there on the surface, raw and immediate. There's this lovely tension between representation and abstraction, like she's trying to capture the essence of the scene, rather than just copying it. This reminds me of Van Gogh, in a way. Although his brushstrokes are more turbulent. Ultimately, art is about asking questions, not giving answers, and this painting leaves me with plenty to think about.