Meridional City 1971

Vasile Dobrian made this painting, Meridional City, with what looks like oil on canvas; the date is unknown, but it's got that mid-century vibe. Check out how Dobrian lays down these opaque colors edge to edge, like he's building a puzzle. The paint isn't trying to trick you into thinking it's anything other than pigment on a flat surface. There's a real frankness to it. I keep getting drawn to that bright white wedge in the center. It's like a ray of light, but also maybe a street or a wall. That simple shape does so much work. It creates depth and pulls the whole composition together. It reminds me a bit of Giorgio de Chirico's dreamscapes, but with a warmer, more optimistic palette. Both artists create these uncanny, slightly off-kilter spaces. You know, art is just one big conversation anyway, right? We're all just riffing off each other, trying to make sense of the world in our own weird way.