Untitled 1990

This Untitled painting by Oleg Holosiy seems to have been coaxed into being through layers of muted browns and creams. I imagine the artist, brush in hand, tentatively building up these forms, not quite sure what will emerge. The paint looks applied in thin washes, allowing the texture of the canvas to peek through, like secrets half-revealed. See how the looping gesture repeats across the surface? Each curve seems to respond to the one before it, creating a rhythmic, almost musical quality. I bet Holosiy, as he made this, was thinking about other artists, maybe even music, letting his mind wander as the painting bloomed. It makes me think about how we, as painters, are all in conversation with one another. Like, we keep building on what came before, riffing on old ideas, but hopefully always adding something new. It’s like jazz, right?