Composition 1960

Hryhorii Havrylenko made this untitled painting with bold strokes of color that feel so immediate. Look at the way he builds up the image; it’s like he’s having a conversation with the paint, each stroke answering the last. The surface is alive with texture. You can almost feel the push and pull of the brush across the canvas. He’s not trying to hide the process; instead, he lets the paint do its thing. My eye keeps getting drawn to this one little section of layered strokes in the center of the painting. The blues and reds create a vibrating energy that pulses through the whole piece. It reminds me of some of the early abstract expressionists, like Joan Mitchell, who weren’t afraid to let the messiness of paint become the subject. It's a reminder that art is less about answers and more about embracing the endless possibilities of seeing.