UNDER MOUNTAINS JESENIKY 1975

Jaroslav Keluc made this painting, depicting a landscape with mountains and fields, with gestural brushstrokes and a palette of blues, greens, yellows, and whites. It looks like he began with broad strokes, building up the forms of the mountains and sky, then layering more detailed marks on top. You can imagine him standing there, feeling the sun on his face and the wind in his hair, trying to capture the essence of this place. What would it be like to stand where he stood and paint what he saw? Look at how the thick strokes create texture. The paint almost feels like it's alive, wriggling and squirming on the canvas. The gestures communicate Keluc’s feelings as he observed the scene, responding to the light, the weather, and the colours around him. There is a conversation happening between artists across time. Keluc builds on the legacy of landscape painters who came before him, adding his own unique voice and vision. The surface is so active and alive! For me, painting is a way of embracing uncertainty and ambiguity, so that multiple interpretations can emerge.