Tureen 2010

Alexander Roitburd painted this "Tureen," using oil on canvas, which is a very traditional technique. But, look closely, and you can see that the way he applies the material is quite distinctive. Notice the thickly layered brushstrokes, how Roitburd builds up a tactile surface, almost like plaster. The materiality of the paint is very present, giving a sense of weight and volume to the depicted tureen. Oil paint allowed Roitburd to blend colors smoothly and create realistic textures and forms, but also to express himself emotionally and subjectively, using visible brushwork and expressive color choices. What’s more, a tureen is not necessarily a subject that you would expect to see elevated in this way, with the oil medium historically associated with portraiture and history painting. Through his painterly treatment, Roitburd encourages us to appreciate the beauty and value in the everyday, and demonstrates that even the simplest object can be a source of artistic inspiration. By bringing together process, subject, and context, Roitburd challenges our traditional assumptions about art and craft.