Untitled 1964

Editor: Alexandre Istrati's "Untitled," from 1964, is quite the experience. It's a mixed-media piece, lots of impasto... It reminds me of a stormy landscape, almost primordial. So tactile! What do you see in this piece, Professor? Curator: Oh, I love that stormy landscape reading! Yes, Istrati… he invites us into a sort of dreamscape, doesn't he? It's that post-war energy swirling about. Do you see how the light and dark aren't quite fighting, but more... dancing? There's a tension there, I think. A grappling with the new. It also reminds me a little bit of Dubuffet, wouldn't you say? Editor: Absolutely. The matter-painting approach feels very Dubuffet. I suppose I'm curious about that dance you mentioned. Is it between order and chaos, perhaps? Curator: Precisely! And look closer – at the seeming chaos itself. Istrati isn’t merely flinging paint. It's controlled chaos, wouldn't you say? There’s an emotional core to the application of the materials that transcends mere aesthetics. Tell me, does that controlled chaos still translate as a landscape for you, knowing that intention? Editor: Knowing that, it feels almost like a memory of a landscape. Fragmented, reassembled... Curator: Wonderful. Almost as though he’s recalling something that both soothes and troubles him. Art of this type always pulls at something deep. And Istrati lets it breathe... doesn’t quite name it. Leaving us to make our own maps in the space he's created. Editor: I think I'll be spending more time trying to find my own place within that "storm." Thanks for clarifying things! Curator: The pleasure's all mine. Art’s always about discovery; remember that! Now go on, and trust your storm!