SEARCHING FOR THE VICTIMS. SIGHT 2009

Alexander Roitburd’s painting, “Searching for the Victims. Sight”, is a mysterious landscape of muted tones and obscured gazes. I imagine him layering those earth tones, conjuring figures that seem to emerge from the shadows. You know, it’s like the painting itself is a process of revelation. The figures hide their eyes, or maybe they're being confronted by what's in front of them. There's a tension between seeing and not wanting to see, it's like a big, open question about voyeurism. And the figure in the mirror— is she the victim? Is she facing herself? It's like Roitburd is in conversation with artists like Francis Bacon and Paula Rego, all of whom wrestled with the dark stuff. This is a really strange scene that lets the viewer contemplate their own position. Artists are always having these conversations, across time and space. Ultimately, painting embraces uncertainty, inviting us to find our own way through its questions.