Care 2005

Curator: Arsen Savadov created this painting, "Care," in 2005, using oil paints. What strikes you first? Editor: The limited palette, almost monochromatic. The variations of off-white, red, and drab colors—it gives it an unfinished, sketch-like appearance, yet it feels strangely complete. What do you make of the composition? Curator: It evokes a poignant, almost suppressed narrative. We see children—perhaps siblings, with their toys—looking toward or pleading to someone or something unseen beyond a makeshift partition. Their postures, the light...there's a clear visual metaphor about hope, vulnerability, perhaps even prayer. The setting suggests poverty. Editor: That's interesting. I focused initially on the brushwork—the energetic, almost impatient strokes. They're especially evident in the background and floor, creating a kind of visual instability. Does this inform the feeling of hope you are perceiving? Curator: The rapid brushwork speaks to urgency, a plea or longing for resolution. Considering how children represent innocence, a universal hope for a better future is portrayed. Their upward-reaching hands have resonated across cultures in invocations or supplications. Editor: Perhaps the artist intentionally created this textural ambiguity. A more finished appearance might diminish the raw emotionality. Did Savadov employ symbolism consistently in other works? Curator: Savadov's oeuvre contains motifs relating to displacement, identity, and social change, all presented with his recognizable painting technique, even an unsteadiness. It is likely the partition signifies a larger obstacle; their earnest desire and "Care" become very evocative ideas. Editor: I see that now—the texture amplifies the subject’s psychological reality. Instead of rendering figures hyper-realistically, that raw style of mark-making mirrors inner states of precariousness and longing. Curator: The scene creates its own emotional symbol—one born of brushstroke and hopeful yearning. Editor: A fascinating way the formal elements coalesce around the title's central idea.