Untitled 2001

This untitled watercolor on paper by Eric Fischl is a beautiful example of how process can drive the feeling of a work. The colors are muted, a range of earthy browns and blues that create a sense of depth and shadow. What strikes me is the fluidity of the washes. The paint isn't laid down in blocks, but allowed to blend and bleed, creating soft, undefined edges. Look at how the brown seeps into the paper around the figures, it gives them this ghostly, ethereal quality. There’s a tension here, between control and accident. Fischl lets the medium do its thing, embracing the unpredictable nature of watercolor. It makes me think of Carroll Dunham, who also lets the weirdness of form and color come together to create something truly unique. Ultimately, art is about discovery, it’s an ongoing conversation with the materials and the world around us.