Copperas 2008

Vasiliy Ryabchenko painted this large-scale canvas with oil, seemingly without a clear sense of when it would be finished. I love the way the painting is both airy and grounded. The light blue and yellow palette feels optimistic, but the skull motif suggests something darker. The paint application is loose and gestural, with visible brushstrokes that reveal the artist’s hand. It feels like he’s building up the image in layers, letting certain areas remain ambiguous. Look at the way the blue paint is applied in the central pool area. Ryabchenko uses varying pressure to build up an inner glow, with a kind of shimmering quality. This treatment of surface lends an emotional resonance to the whole piece. It reminds me of Tal Coat, who also embraces open-endedness and the beauty of the unfinished in his painting. Art is an ongoing conversation, and Ryabchenko is adding his own unique voice to it.