In a Paris Cafe 1914

Boris Grigoriev’s "In a Paris Cafe" is a kind of fuzzy memory made with oil paint – soft and slightly out of focus. I love the way the brushstrokes are laid down, not trying to blend perfectly, but letting each color sit next to the other, vibrating. Check out how Grigoriev uses pink. It’s not just one pink, but a whole family of pinks, from fleshy rose to almost white. These different tones make the figures feel solid, even though the lines are blurry. The surface has a chalky feel, and the paint seems pretty thin, like he’s staining the canvas rather than building up thick layers. Look at the way the figures blend into their surroundings, are they are melting into the wallpaper. The blurry edges give a sense of movement and change. It's funny, this reminds me a little of Vuillard’s interiors, that feeling of being lost in pattern and color. But where Vuillard is cozy, Grigoriev feels a bit more restless. Art is always a conversation, and it's never just one thing.