VO 2015

Editor: So this is *VO*, an oil painting from 2015 by Pietropoli Patrick. I’m immediately drawn to its subdued color palette and the texture seems really palpable. How do you approach understanding a portrait like this one? Curator: Formally, the restrained use of color, predominantly in the grayscale spectrum, directs our focus to the tonal variations. Notice how light interacts with the subject's denim jacket and the graphic on their t-shirt. The contrast isn't merely representational but creates a dialogue of surface and depth, especially if you look at the visible brushstrokes; it has an "unfinished" aspect that makes one think of Gerhard Richter, don't you think? Editor: I see that now! It's like he’s playing with the idea of realism, but also pulling away from it with that almost raw application of paint. What does that tension accomplish? Curator: The tension you astutely observed between representation and abstraction destabilizes the very idea of “portrait.” We are invited to see not a complete likeness, but rather an investigation of form, color, and the material qualities of paint itself. The work challenges the expectation of a seamless, illusionistic representation and proposes a different kind of viewing experience. How does this affect the viewer’s interpretation, would you say? Editor: It forces us to focus less on ‘who’ this person is and more on the artistic decisions shaping our perception of them. Thanks, that really opened my eyes to the nuances here! Curator: Indeed, sometimes it is through careful formal examination that we are better placed to discover broader concepts; so much hinges on how the artist manipulates visual form.