No Name 2016

Vlada Ralko made this untitled artwork with what looks like ink and watercolor. Look how Ralko’s use of line creates structure, with fluid brushstrokes filling in the spaces. It’s like a coloring book gone rogue! The heavy, dark wash at the bottom anchors the composition, but it also feels like a murky unknown. Above it, these figures emerge - are they wearing masks, or are their faces transforming? The skull on the left grins out at us, while the pink bunny ears add a touch of the absurd. I love the way the linear quality flattens the image, pushing everything to the surface. I'm reminded of Philip Guston’s late work, where he embraced a raw, cartoonish style to tackle difficult subjects. Ralko, like Guston, isn’t afraid to embrace the messy, unresolved aspects of artmaking, inviting us to ponder the meaning of our strange times.