Blue and Red, but Mostly Blue 2016

Timur Akhriev created this piece, Blue and Red, but Mostly Blue, using oil paint, and there's a beautiful tension between the two colours. The artwork feels like it's all about the process. You can really see the materiality of the painting, right? The texture is built up in these layers, it feels almost sculptural. It's not just about the image, but the actual doing of it, the pushing and pulling of paint. I'm drawn to how the red cloth is rendered, with these thick impasto strokes that give it a tangible, almost edible quality. The way the paint catches the light is mesmerizing, it adds a liveliness to the piece. Akhriev is part of an ongoing conversation within art history. Artists like Van Gogh come to mind, with his expressive brushwork and emotional intensity. It's a reminder that art is never truly finished, but always evolving.