Going Out 2000

Bo Bartlett painted "Going Out", and though the date’s unknown, the way he handles the paint makes it timeless. It’s got that dreamy, slightly unreal quality, right? The kind you only get when you’re really wrestling with the medium. I mean, look at how he builds up those layers of color in the sea and sky. It's like he’s chasing after a feeling, not just copying what he sees. The water looks thick and you can see every ripple. Then there's this pale, almost luminous light hitting the boat. It is smooth, subtle, and so carefully rendered. It almost looks like glass. It’s like the paint is trying to hold its breath. This painting reminds me a little of Alex Katz with its sharp focus and attention to light. Like Katz, Bartlett is not interested in telling us a story. The figures' expressions are passive. They are simply present, like actors on a stage. "Going Out" is a testament to the fact that art is a journey, a conversation that stretches across time and challenges us to see the world in new and unexpected ways.