At a Stream. Poet Sitting on Stones 1921

Oleksa Novakivskyi painted this image of a poet by a stream using oil on cardboard, and it's all about these expressive, swirling brushstrokes. You can almost feel the water's movement and hear its sound! I imagine Novakivskyi, out there with his paints, capturing a moment of reflection, as the poet sits amongst the grey-green rocks. The poet looks out towards the stream, wearing a light coloured suit that blends into the overcast sky. It's all painted with a kind of shorthand – a visual language. The texture, built up from thick strokes of paint, adds a tactile dimension to the scene, creating a push-pull effect. This work reminds me of other painters interested in capturing fleeting moments and the feeling of a scene rather than a photographic depiction. It is as though he wants to show us how to be with ambiguity.