Untitled 2017

Lucy Ivanova, born in 1989, created this untitled painting with layers of oil paint applied on canvas. Here, the artist uses oil paint in a fairly straightforward way to evoke the natural world. Note the broad swathes of turquoise, which create a sense of receding space, against the dense green foliage, punctuated by the occasional splash of red. What is most interesting about this painting is its immediacy. The artist has chosen to let the paint drip and run, rather than create a highly finished surface. This process creates a sense of spontaneity, as if the artist were capturing a fleeting moment in time. The choice of oil paint itself is significant. While a traditional material, it is also highly versatile, allowing for both thin washes and thick impasto. Ivanova takes full advantage of this range, creating a dynamic surface that is both expressive and evocative. By attending to the materials and processes, we can appreciate the artist’s intention to collapse the distance between perception and creation.