Narrow Street 1972

Petros Malayan’s, Narrow Street feels like a hazy dreamscape captured in watercolor. Look at those washes of muted greens and browns, they seem to bleed into one another, creating depth and atmosphere. I can imagine Malayan, standing on a cobbled street, squinting to capture the scene, letting the water do its thing. This is all about intuition, and responding to the movement of the pigment. The artist probably had to surrender some control, allowing the painting to have its own say. Notice how the figure is almost swallowed by the surroundings, a lone observer in this nocturnal landscape. It reminds me of some of Vuillard's interiors, where figures are enmeshed in the patterns of the wallpaper. Maybe Malayan was in dialogue with the Intimists as he explored his own vision. In this dance of colors and forms artists continue to inspire and challenge one another.