Yellow Flowers 1960

Alexander Semenovich Verdernikov made this painting, "Yellow Flowers," with flat shapes and simplified forms, probably in the middle of the 20th century. It is full of charm. I wonder what it was like for him to create it? To move the blocks of color around and create this tableau. There is a great tension between the flat planes of color and the naturalistic subject. It's like he is saying, 'These are flowers, and I am making a painting.' I really appreciate the contrast between the bright yellow and the darker tones. He knew exactly what he was doing and how the colors would play off each other. It reminds me of Matisse, but it is unique to Verdernikov. Each brushstroke is a thought, a feeling, a decision. And, in the end, the painting becomes a record of that process, an invitation for us to join in the conversation, to see the world through Verdernikov's eyes, and to find our own meaning in his work.