Composition 1989

Alexandre Istrati made this untitled composition with layers of tangled marks in every direction. I can only imagine how it emerged, shifting and building, stroke by stroke. I sympathize with Istrati, I know what it’s like to be in the studio wondering what the heck to do next! What was he thinking when he put down these marks? The paint doesn’t seem too thick here, but the gestures are so loaded. The blues and reds create a feeling of movement, a vibrant background on which the artist laid down a lattice-work of lines like some giant game of pick-up sticks! There’s a kind of abstract language at play here, Istrati is in conversation with the Russian Constructivists, but also American Abstract Expressionists. It makes you think about how we’re always building on each other's ideas, inspiring each other’s creativity. Painting embraces ambiguity, allowing for endless interpretations and meaning, don’t you think?