The death of the tractor operator (two sides) 1990

Oleg Holosiy made "The Death of the Tractor Operator (Two Sides)" with, what looks like, oil paint on canvas – a classic choice. Looking at the dominant reds and browns, it feels like this painting came together through a process of layering, wiping away, and adding more until it felt right. I imagine Holosiy, brush in hand, trying to work through some big themes - life, death, maybe even the changing world around him. It is, like, what does it mean to live and die in a world increasingly dominated by machines? The texture is kind of rough, the colours are earthy, which gives it this raw, honest feel. It’s like he’s digging into the surface of the canvas to unearth some kind of truth. There’s this gesture where the figures emerge out of the darkness, like they are struggling to come into being. Holosiy is part of a long line of painters grappling with similar questions, each using their own visual language to explore the human condition. Painting is so much more than just putting colours on canvas.