Townscape 1968

Gerhard Richter made this painting, Townscape, using oils, though when exactly is unclear. You know, the way Richter works with such limited color feels like a choice about the kind of looking he wants us to do. It's like he's saying, "Okay, let's strip away the distraction of color and really focus on form." The paint application is pretty straightforward; you can see the brushstrokes, the way the paint sort of drags across the surface, especially in those stacked horizontal forms on the right, which could be anything. This directness feels honest, almost like a refusal to get too fancy or polished. The dark areas feel almost like voids, swallowing up the light. It reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi, who also used a muted palette to explore simple shapes and forms, reducing the world to its most essential elements. This approach makes you consider, maybe art isn't about answering questions but about asking them in a new way.