Daydreaming 1959

Yiannis Moralis made "Daydreaming" with what looks like oil paint, using a palette of mostly white, brown and black. I can imagine him building up the image slowly, wiping away, and painting over. The figure almost emerges out of the ground of the painting. I wonder if Moralis was thinking about the history of classical Greek sculpture. There's something very architectural about the composition, like a half-remembered building. The paint isn't too thick, but it is textured. I can see Moralis' hand in the brushstrokes; they are loose and gestural, giving the painting a lively and energetic feel. There's this one bold, dark line that defines the sitter's leg and creates a strong sense of volume. It reminds me of other painters, like de Kooning, who were interested in the figure but also pushing abstraction. Artists are always in conversation with each other, and it’s amazing how they can inspire each other across time and space. Painting is a constant process of trial and error, where meaning emerges through intuition, uncertainty, and the joy of experimentation.