Balakovo Series 1962

This image is part of Yuri Zlotnikov’s Balakovo series, and you can see how he's just laying down marks to conjure an entire scene. It's kind of amazing when you think about it – the confidence to just let the paint do its thing. There’s a looseness, a real physicality to the brushstrokes in this watercolor. The colors are earthy – ochre, raw umber, and a splash of indigo. It's very gestural. Take a look at the table that dominates the bottom of the image, it is rendered with these broad, fluid strokes that suggest its form without defining it precisely. Zlotnikov allows the white of the paper to peek through, creating a sense of light and air. These strong lines direct your eye around the artwork, and then you start to notice other figures in the distance. This reminds me of some of the German Expressionists like Kirchner, in that they both use a similar approach to capturing the essence of a scene with minimal detail. Both artists seem less interested in portraying reality than in conveying a certain mood. Ultimately, Zlotnikov reminds us that art is about more than just what we see, it's about how we feel.