The Phoenix Bird 1990

Viorel Marginean painted this Phoenix Bird, and you can almost see the canvas breathing with each stroke. I'm imagining Marginean in the act of painting, building up the feathers in layers of pale pink and blue. They seem to vibrate with life. You know, that repeated mark-making can be really meditative. I bet the artist found a real sense of freedom in the repetition. The thick strokes of red on the wing contrast with the thinness of the surrounding feathers, a kind of bold energy. It’s a great push-pull, with one set of marks echoing the others. It reminds me of Guston, who I always return to, and his own language of mark-making. This Phoenix Bird feels like a symbol of resilience, which probably wasn't far from Marginean's mind. I mean, painting itself is about embracing the unknown and the unfinished. It’s about constantly being reborn through new ideas and perspectives.