Swan Lake 1970

Alla Horska painted this, Swan Lake, with a real sense of freedom, layering color over color, shape next to shape. Look at the surface; there's a real materiality to it. The paint isn't trying to hide itself. It’s thin in places, thick in others, with visible brushstrokes that dance across the canvas. Notice those sharp dark-blue lines around the figures to the right. They almost vibrate with energy, pulling the forms into focus but also pushing them back into the swirling composition. The castle in the center reminds me of Marc Chagall. The painting as a whole has that similar childlike quality, but it's also got a rawness, a directness, that's all its own. It’s like Horska is having a conversation, not just with the history of art, but with herself, working through something personal and profound. Art doesn't need to be perfect; it just needs to be real.