Сliffs at Etretat 2010

"Cliffs at Etretat" is an oil on canvas painting by Ukrainian artist Alexander Roitburd, who was born in 1961. In his works, Roitburd deconstructed conventional understandings of beauty and morality, often through provocative juxtapositions. Here, the idyllic seaside landscape is disrupted by the surreal presence of two female figures and an iguana. The women, seemingly unbothered by their nudity, challenge traditional ideals of feminine modesty. The iguana, an exotic element in a European setting, introduces themes of displacement and the unfamiliar. Roitburd once said, "I like to mix things up, to create a dialogue between different worlds." This painting epitomizes this approach, bringing together disparate elements to question established norms. Roitburd's art encourages us to see the world through a lens that values diversity and challenges conventional beauty standards. The painting invites us to reconsider how we perceive beauty, identity, and the boundaries between the familiar and the foreign.