PAINTING IN SPACE 1931

Yervand Kochar made this sculpture – called PAINTING IN SPACE – using paint and wood. He’s really pushing painting off the wall and into our space, with all these cut out pieces that move around each other. It's like he's building an abstract object. The colors are muted and layered, almost like a faded memory. Look at how the paint sort of hugs the edges of each form. I love how the brushstrokes are visible, really direct. You can see where he’s built up the layers, scratching back into it almost. There's a real sense of play and experimentation. The different planes and colors remind me of Picasso, but with a sculptor’s eye towards form and space. It feels like Kochar is inviting us to piece together our own narrative from these fragmented forms, and really emphasizes that art can be a conversation between the artist and the viewer.