Portrait 2010

Romul Nutiu made this portrait in, well, we don't know exactly when, using paint, likely oil, in shades of red, black, and a creamy off-white. The colours are laid down in broad strokes, and the black lines feel spontaneous, almost like a doodle. Look at the way the off-white paint is applied thinly, allowing the canvas texture to peek through, especially in the oval of the face. There's a real tension between the flatness of the surface and the depth suggested by the layering of colours. The black marks dart around the composition like dark energy, especially where they seem to fall around the neck of the figure. It's like the painting is in the middle of a thought. Nutiu reminds me a little bit of someone like Philip Guston, in the way he uses a limited palette and bold strokes to create something that feels both immediate and deeply considered. Ultimately, the work celebrates the messy, imperfect process of painting itself.