Among
all of Moser's oils, perhaps the most magnificent
is the enigmatically titled There Was No Grass on the Other
Side, which appears to depict a netherworld beyond life, as
an idealized youthful figure, possibly an angel, dangles a gold
pocket watch on a long chain above two wizened hooded beings
holding scythes, while a fanciful violet horse prances in the
background.
Moser
boldly contradicts the symbolism of the painting
with yellow splashes that disrupt its surface, sabotaging its
illusionism, and announcing the artist's primarily painterly
intent.
To
those who have seen Moser's previous work, the power
of this collection will come as no surprise, but the breath and
beauty of these paintings, dealing with eternal verities,
documents the sustained achievement of a major American
painter.
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