Untitled 1963

Here we have an untitled piece by Vilen Barsky, made with what looks like ink on paper. I love the way Barsky fearlessly embraces a kind of rawness and immediacy. Check out the ochre face at the top of the composition – it's built up from hundreds of little strokes, a dense network of lines that almost vibrate. This contrasts with the heavy black background, which feels both dense and fluid. It's easy to see the marks made by the brush, the swirls and eddies of the ink as it was applied to the page. Then, lower down, these geometric forms interrupt the darkness. They could be a body, or perhaps just a series of abstract shapes, adding another layer of ambiguity to the piece. This piece reminds me a little of work by Antoni Tàpies, who also played with texture and materiality in really inventive ways. It’s a conversation across time, where artists like Barsky and Tàpies challenge our perceptions and invite us to see the world anew.