Wine Bar 

Editor: This is "Wine Bar," an oil painting by Vincent Giarrano. I find the almost monochromatic red and the strong central figure create a fascinating contrast. The boots resting on the table are eye-catching! How do you approach an interpretation of this piece? Curator: Thank you for setting the scene. Initially, one notices the interplay of color and texture. Giarrano employs a limited palette, dominated by variations of red, which contributes to the painting’s overall mood. Note how the impasto technique enlivens surfaces and articulates light across the planes of the central form, and recedes into shadow at the left. Editor: The brushwork seems really prominent here, it doesn't feel photorealistic, even though it's figurative. Is that a conscious choice, you think? Curator: Indeed. The visible brushstrokes disrupt any illusion of photographic realism. Observe how the composition centers on the reclining figure, balanced by the horizontal extension of the couch. This echoes the formalist project of artists like Clement Greenberg, who celebrated the properties of the medium as a means of understanding an artist's intention and execution. The balance between figure and abstraction seems central to understanding this painting's thesis. Editor: I see, so the emphasis on the paint itself becomes part of the subject? Curator: Precisely. The painting openly declares its artifice. The way Giarrano builds form and space creates a rich dialogue, and the application of paint on the canvas transcends representational narrative. We appreciate that his style alludes to expressionism while remaining resolutely modern. Editor: That’s a fresh way to look at it. Thanks. Curator: My pleasure. I invite the audience to contemplate Giarrano's deployment of artifice when engaging with contemporary painting.