Sea 1959

With thick layers of oil paint, Tihamer Gyarmathy's 'Sea' presents a world mediated by a grid. The painting is structured into distinct zones. The top features a grid of square blocks. These blocks create a sense of order but the grid's interruption by dark paint destabilizes the structure. Below, the horizon is blurred, replaced with gestural strokes that suggest movement and depth. At the bottom, abstract forms evoke the sea. The artist employs a muted palette, yet small blocks of colour punctuate the surface, drawing the eye across the canvas. The painting uses a semiotic system where blocks of colour and strokes act as signs, hinting at the sea. Yet, these signs never fully resolve into a clear representation, creating tension between abstraction and representation. Ultimately, 'Sea' exists in a space of in-betweenness, resisting fixed interpretation.