War on Terrorism; Catching the Plane 1977

Mort Künstler made this dramatic painting called "War on Terrorism; Catching the Plane," and right away, I'm struck by how painterly it is, how the brushstrokes and the layering of colors create a sense of movement and urgency. It’s not trying to be photorealist. There’s something about the way Künstler uses color to create depth and atmosphere that I find really compelling. The blues and whites in the sky contrast so strongly with the ochre earth tones on the ground, and that tension gives the whole scene a feeling of unease. Looking closely, you can see the way the paint is applied, in these visible strokes and dabs, and it’s like the artist is showing you the process. Think about that smear of white where the plane is opening, it's almost like the light is literally exploding out, and that raw quality really adds to the impact. It reminds me a little of Leon Golub, actually, in the way it tackles difficult subject matter with this really expressive paint handling. Ultimately, it’s the painting’s openness to interpretation, its refusal to give easy answers, that makes it so powerful.