Iphigenia In Tauris 2011

Alexander Roitburd made this painting, Iphigenia In Tauris, with what looks like oil on canvas. I’m really drawn to the way Roitburd uses these short, choppy brushstrokes. The whole image shimmers with texture, like it’s been built up layer by layer, mark by mark. Look at the way he’s rendered the figure’s dress – it’s almost like a mosaic of tiny white and grey flecks, not blended, but sitting next to each other. And it’s the same with the skin, that slightly mottled tone. It feels so immediate and present. The odd composition, the figure bent over, head bowed, only adds to the sense of immediacy, like we’ve just stumbled into a private moment. It’s not perfect, and that’s what makes it so compelling. It reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker. Both artists share an interest in representing the body in a way that feels raw and unfiltered.