Abundance: vegetables 1967

Mariam Aslamazian seems to burst onto the canvas with joy in "Abundance: vegetables," using oil paint to depict a feast of color and form. I can almost feel the artist at work, laying down thick strokes of greens, reds, and yellows, building up the textures and forms of the fruits and vegetables. It’s like she’s wrestling with the paint, coaxing it into life. Look how she handles the garlic bulbs, they look so luscious! I bet she bought the garlic specially at the market that day. The composition is so daring, almost chaotic, but somehow it all holds together. You can tell Aslamazian is familiar with the still life genre, but she’s pushing it, exaggerating the colors and simplifying the forms. It reminds me of how Morandi used repetition of the same kind of bottle to try something different. It’s a celebration of the senses, a reminder of the simple pleasures in life and a peek into the conversations artists have with each other across time.