Cantacuzinean Insignia 2007

Marin Gherasim made this Insignia, we don't know when, probably with paint on wood. It looks like the paint has been scrubbed into the grain, so the image feels like it's emerging from within. There's a primal quality to the mark-making. The red paint, thick and slightly cracked, gives the piece its structure. It’s almost as if the artist was searching for the form, feeling it out through touch as much as sight. I keep coming back to this bright red outline and it reminds me of Guston in a way, but also folk art. The layering here is really exciting. You can see a history of touches, adjustments, and corrections. It's not about perfection. Instead, it embraces the messiness and uncertainty of the process. It feels like a conversation, you know? A dialogue between the artist and the material. I am reminded of other artists who explore national identity, but I think Gherasim has a rawness that’s all his own. Ultimately, art is about asking questions, not giving answers.