Marat’s Death 2010

Vasiliy Ryabchenko made this painting, Marat’s Death, using oil on canvas, at an unspecified date. The palette is a symphony of muted tones, punctuated by moments of intense color – a dash of cadmium red, a stroke of ultramarine. It’s like he's built the painting up in layers, each one informing the next, a real push-and-pull. Looking closely, you can see the physicality of the paint itself. It’s neither too thick nor too thin, but just right, allowing the texture of the canvas to peek through in places. The brushstrokes are loose and gestural, and he's built up these really interesting planes of color. Notice how the large red section in the upper right corner bleeds into the blue and grey section, creating this tension and depth. There’s a connection here to artists like Francis Picabia, who weren't afraid to let their paintings be a little messy, a little unresolved. What I like about Ryabchenko is his embrace of ambiguity. It’s a reminder that art is not about answers, but about the questions we ask along the way.