Between Sets 

Editor: So, this oil painting is called "Between Sets" by Dan Graziano. It's a figurative portrait, very expressive… it feels like a glimpse into a quiet moment, maybe backstage. There’s a certain melancholy in the hunched figure. What strikes you when you look at this work? Curator: It feels almost…tender, doesn't it? Like catching someone lost in their own world. The brushstrokes are so loose, full of energy, especially against that dark ground – like a burst of feeling made visible. Do you get the sense that Graziano is really trying to get at something about the loneliness of being an artist, or perhaps the bittersweet joy of a moment alone with one's craft? It whispers to me about fleeting moments and vulnerability, what do you think? Editor: I see that vulnerability too, in the averted gaze and the almost hesitant posture. The darkness around him is pressing in. Is that background symbolic at all? Curator: Possibly, or maybe it represents the intensity of focus that's needed to produce art, blocking out the surrounding environment. The interesting thing for me, is how Graziano uses what almost appear to be mistakes – loose brushstrokes and so on – to create something deeply affecting. In some ways it almost recalls those late Rembrandt portraits with their broken brushwork, don't you think? Have you seen any connection with Jazz themes in expressionism before? Editor: I see the Rembrandt connection! It’s about the emotional truth, not necessarily about perfect realism. As for jazz, I am definitely noticing now how expressionism captured raw, emotional performance, I can almost feel the sax solo! Thanks! Curator: Exactly! It’s almost like he’s playing with emotion more than portraying pure physical reality. That makes all the difference for me.