Self Portrait 2007

Alexander Roitburd’s self portrait, probably made with oil on canvas, is a testament to the ongoing act of looking and re-looking at ourselves. Roitburd uses color and texture to construct a figure that feels both present and ephemeral. The green background, applied in short brushstrokes, gives way to a form rendered in fleshy pinks and reds. The paint is applied thickly in some areas, especially around the head and torso, creating a tactile surface that begs to be touched. Look at the hands, palms open, almost glowing against the dark background; they remind us of the vulnerability and intimacy of self-representation. Roitburd, who tragically died young, reminds me of other artists who examine the human condition, like Paula Modersohn-Becker. There's a beauty here, in the way the artist sees himself, a way of turning the gaze inward. Art is a conversation across time, and we are all part of it.