The Last Selfie 2017

Alexander Roitburd made this eerie painting, The Last Selfie, with oil on canvas. The mark-making here has this fluid, almost melting quality, like the paint itself is alive and shifting. There's something so contemporary about the subject matter, but the way it's rendered feels almost classical, like a warped portrait from another era. It’s this melding of old and new that really grabs me. Look at the woman's face, stretched and distorted as if seen through a funhouse mirror. It's unsettling, sure, but also kind of funny, and very human. The paint is applied in thin layers, allowing the colors to blend and bleed into one another, creating a sense of movement and decay. Then the background is composed of these gorgeous, muted greens and browns, with these soft, hazy brushstrokes that evoke a sense of nostalgia. It reminds me a little of Francis Bacon, in the way it captures the grotesque beauty of the human form. But Roitburd brings his own unique sensibility to the table, creating a painting that is both disturbing and strangely compelling. Art is a conversation and this is a great contribution.