Heights 2007

Viorel Marginean’s painting, Heights, whispers to us with its delicate touch, like a memory retold. The painting feels built from a process of layering and revealing. Look closely, and you’ll notice how the mountains are formed by countless tiny marks, each a little burst of color or a subtle shift in tone. The surface is alive with texture, beckoning your eye to wander and linger. The brushstrokes are at times opaque, at others transparent, creating this real sense of depth and atmosphere. Consider the way the cluster of small dots form a field of wildflowers. These marks feel less about representation and more about the sheer joy of applying paint to canvas. Marginean reminds me a little bit of Agnes Martin, in the way he creates expansive landscapes from simple gestures. Ultimately, this painting is a testament to art’s ability to embrace ambiguity.