Extinguishing useless fire

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: The Museum of Modern Art (New York, the USA).

The artist’s monochrome landscape, where smooth light brown surface is covered with stunted vegetation, is associated with the desert. It is inhabited by small creatures, like mushrooms or some bizarre insects, one of which stands out for its intense bright red colour and is obviously fire. The source of the “useless” light is a dark tower in the upper left corner, and a white flying object resembling a dove acts as a quencher. The picture makes a disturbing impression, since the symbolic “extinguisher” is transparent and fragile, and a steaming tower poses a real threat.