Moulin Rouge 1980

Vytautas Kasiulis made this painting of the Moulin Rouge with what looks like gouache, or maybe pastel, and in the kind of style that seems sort of familiar, but also like, totally his own. I can imagine him, you know, really going for it, not worrying too much about getting it "right," but just letting the colors and shapes do their thing. He was probably thinking about all those other artists who'd painted the Moulin Rouge before him. The whole surface shimmers with a kind of energetic buzz, like the space itself is vibrating. The colors are layered, there's a real feeling of movement, with all the dancers caught in mid-swirl. The black outlines pop, and the thick daubs of colour make everything seem like it's happening right now. I love that the painting feels both chaotic and joyful, like a real party! Kasiulis and all those artists are in this ongoing conversation, inspiring each other's creativity. And that’s what painting is all about: an embodied expression that embraces ambiguity and allows for multiple interpretations.