Roitburd VS Caravaggio. Opus # 001 2009

Alexander Roitburd made this painting, Roitburd VS Caravaggio. Opus # 001, by layering luminous forms over a darkened Caravaggio scene. Imagine him in the studio, brush in hand, guided by instinct and a deep dialogue with art history. I love how the initial image is enlivened with these neon-like scribbles! They feel like notes jotted down during an intense conversation. Look at the way he applied the paint; see how the colourful marks dance and float, almost like electrical impulses firing across the surface. It's as if Roitburd isn't just depicting something but thinking through the act of painting itself. What did he hope to achieve by collaging one painting over another? Roitburd's work reminds us that painting is an ongoing conversation between artists, styles, and eras. Each stroke and splash is an opportunity to reconsider, reinterpret, and reinvigorate. His work suggests there are many different ways to see the world.