Aqua 

Konstantin Korobov painted this landscape, Aqua, using oil on canvas. Oil paint has a unique capacity to imitate textures, and here, it recreates the rough, time-worn surfaces of classical architecture. The painting depicts an overgrown ruin reflected in a pool of water. While the scene may seem familiar, even traditional, the artist has clearly taken liberties with the materials and processes. Look closely, and you can see subtle shifts in the painting’s texture, where the illusion falters and the materiality of the oil paint becomes apparent. Korobov’s technique invites a consideration of the labor that went into creating this image. It also requires us to consider the relationship between painting and photography, between the handmade and the mechanically produced. As viewers, we have to decide what we value more: the idea of perfect verisimilitude, or the individual human touch. In the end, it is this kind of decision-making that allows us to challenge the old hierarchy between fine art and craft.