Tulcea Outskirts 

Curator: Welcome. We are looking at “Tulcea Outskirts,” a painting attributed to Petre Abrudan. It's presented in a landscape style. What are your first impressions? Editor: Stark. The colors, especially the expanse of that blue sky, feel almost cold. There’s a directness to the application of paint, and an overall simplified representation. It seems economical. Curator: I agree about that clarity. What strikes me are those evenly spaced, simplified tree shapes. They almost read as symbolic markers rather than actual trees, reminiscent of folk motifs or perhaps even the stylized trees we see in some religious icons, demarcating a space or a narrative. Editor: Interesting. My focus immediately goes to the thick impasto, especially visible in the green fields. The material itself tells a story—of plein-air painting, of capturing a fleeting moment outdoors. There is a palpable energy in the surface, a sense of immediacy created by the materiality. This suggests a working process emphasizing the physical interaction with the environment. Curator: Perhaps the simplification is a product of that quick capture; a focus on essentials—sky, land, dwelling. I also notice a stark absence—people. Editor: Right, which amplifies the mood. This work emphasizes the conditions of production: getting paint onto the canvas with urgency. I mean, look at the roof—color laid so heavy as to become texture. No intricate detail—rather, brute handling, which creates the appeal. Curator: So you are drawn to this work's demonstration of an encounter; that specific engagement and the movement captured? For me it’s also about those lingering impressions of place, abstracted into familiar shapes, like memories distilled down to essential symbols of home. Editor: The roughness invites scrutiny and ultimately allows one to witness how this work came to be, one loaded brushstroke at a time. Curator: Well, thank you. It will be exciting to consider that moving forward. Editor: Agreed, seeing the work through symbols or materiality provides much food for thought!