Autumn 1991

Curator: Before us is "Autumn," a piece crafted in 1991 by Vudon Baklytsky. It's an acrylic on canvas, rendered with a palpable sense of texture through what we might call matter-painting techniques. Editor: Wow. It's like…autumn viewed through a kaleidoscope, a visceral punch of oranges, yellows, and almost angry reds. The paint is so thick, it feels sculptural. Curator: Indeed. The impasto technique is very striking here. Looking through a lens of identity and place, one might ask, what does this raw, almost violent depiction of autumn tell us about Baklytsky’s experience, perhaps connected to ecological anxieties, cultural memories, or societal upheaval at that time? Editor: You know, that makes me think of my grandmother's garden after the first frost. Beautiful, yes, but with a raw, melancholic edge, like nature is screaming, "I'm still here!" The color is so saturated. I'd bet he put a lot of feeling into that paint. It really has the drama of an abstract expressionist piece, a bit like de Kooning meets a landscape! Curator: Absolutely, we could delve deeper into the intersection of expressionism and landscape art, considering how Baklytsky utilizes this vocabulary to perhaps convey a broader narrative on the complexities and maybe contradictions inherent in the fall season as not just a period of decay, but of rich harvest and transformation, of collective introspection as it parallels societal decline or evolution. Editor: You almost made me miss those pumpkin spice lattes! Though personally, I like seeing the world through my grandmother's lens. Still, this painting definitely gave me the shivers, so very alive. I’d say the drama speaks volumes! Curator: It has certainly left me thinking, too. How might ecological concerns influence an artist’s choice of style and color palette? Thanks for making this a dialogue to remember. Editor: It’s always a pleasure to stumble upon feelings you didn't know you had when staring at a great piece of art! Thank you.