Do not be afraid 1990

Oleg Holosiy made this painting, “Do not be afraid”, with brushes, paint, and I imagine, a heck of a lot of intuition. It's kind of ghostly with these pale blues and greys, and the image almost floats into view. I’m thinking about Holosiy's process here, the way he might have laid down these strokes, building up layers, scraping back, searching for the image. The angel wing is quite a gesture, like a big swooping hug, or maybe a shadow. And then you’ve got the faces, nestled together. There’s something tender and a little bit haunting. It reminds me of other painters who aren’t afraid to leave things unresolved. The way the paint is applied thinly in some areas and thickly in others, which gives it a real tactile quality. It’s all part of the conversation, this back-and-forth between artists across time, borrowing, responding, and pushing each other further. Ultimately, painting embraces uncertainty and allows for multiple readings.