Swinger's Party 2016

Alexander Roitburd's "Swinger's Party" is a painting that feels like it emerged from a dream, or maybe a slightly tipsy memory. You can see that it's been built up with layers of small brushstrokes, like he's knitting together this little scene, one dab of color at a time. There's something about the texture of this painting that gets me. The impasto is not too thick, but there's a surface quality to the paint, like it's been scrubbed into the canvas, leaving these tiny marks and bumps. Look at the gentleman’s hat to the right - the way the brushstrokes dance around, suggesting feathers and shadow. The whole piece has a tactile quality, as though I could touch the surface and understand what Roitburd was thinking. This painting reminds me a little of some of Goya's darker, more surreal works. Both artists have this ability to capture human nature in all its weirdness and complexity. Roitburd leaves a lot to the imagination. This painting is a conversation starter, not an answer key.