Caleb De Jong reviews the an exhibition of paintings by Forrest Bess at Christie's, New York, on view through April 3, 2012.

De Jong writes: "Supporting himself as a fisherman in the Gulf, Bess believed his work's symbols were descended from a Universal principle and could be understood by all… Bess, perhaps, believed his mythology more than most. Like any artist, however, [his] work stands on its own strengths independent of any invented or universal imperative. Formally bold and stylistically direct… Bess' work comes off as fresh and immediate."