Elbrus 1991

Oleg Holosiy painted 'Elbrus' using oil on canvas, a traditional combination that has, over centuries, come to define fine art. Yet Holosiy was working in a very specific social and political context: the waning years of the Soviet Union, when even something as basic as canvas could be difficult to obtain. This is one reason why the material handling in this painting has such a raw, almost brutal quality. You can see it in the application of the paint, which is not about illusionism or finesse, but rather about direct, physical engagement. Consider the color range, the earth tones, the way the mountain looms in the background. These are all clues to the artist’s state of mind. Holosiy tragically died at only 28 years old, but he left behind a powerful testament to the ways in which art making, even with conventional materials, can become an act of defiant self-expression.