Street market 1982

Panayiotis Tetsis built this street market with oil paint – one loaded brushstroke at a time. The bright colours give the work an optimistic feel, despite the grey sky and the rain. I can only imagine what it might have been like to create this piece. Picture Tetsis standing there, trying to capture the essence of the market with each dab of paint. There’s a rhythm to the brushstrokes that mimics the hustle and bustle of the market. The red coat pulls my eye. He captures a feeling of warmth, drawing me into the scene. We see not only with our eyes, but our memories, our bodies – and Tetsis is great at reminding me of that. I think of other painters like Bonnard, how they evoke places and how artists are in an ongoing conversation. There is no right way to interpret this, but the painting opens a door.