Man in red 1980

Chronis Botsoglou made this painting, "Man in Red," with what looks like oil on canvas, and it’s all about how color can create a mood. The whole painting is drenched in this intense red, but it's not just one note. You see layers of it, like the underpainting is glowing through. It's that kind of layering that gives the work a real physicality. Look how the red seeps into the figure, almost dissolving the edges. It's like the man is emerging from the red or maybe even merging with it. I love how Botsoglou’s application of paint is not about precision, but more about feeling. And that little touch of blue on the head, it’s like a cool breath in the heat of all that red, a bit like some of Marlene Dumas’ portraits. The intensity of the red color can be so many things: passion, anger, love, or something else entirely. It is up to you to decide.