The State of the Night 1960

Vilen Barsky’s painting, The State of the Night, feels like a cauldron of thick strokes, where reds bubble up against heavy blacks and cool blues. I can imagine him working on this, maybe late at night, layering these colors, wiping them away, and adding more. It’s physical! The surface is built up, encrusted, almost fighting itself. Look at how that dark mass in the center pushes against the delicate drips of red above. Maybe he was thinking about all those expressionist painters who came before him, like de Kooning or Soutine, who weren't afraid to get their hands dirty, or who used art to express their feelings. This bold black gesture pulls me in; it makes me think of a shadowy figure or a dense, unknown landscape. It’s like the painting is figuring itself out as it goes along. The conversation between the artist and the canvas remains open, unresolved, and full of creative potential.