Untitled 1963

This Untitled artwork is by Vilen Barsky and it looks like it was made with ink or paint on paper. You can see how the black ink makes a textured background for this odd figure, a kind of skeleton maybe? Looking at the image, I start imagining Barsky, alone in his studio, wrestling with the idea of mortality, playing with shapes and forms, trying to capture something fleeting and intangible. He has a very physical approach, laying down the initial strokes with bold, confident gestures, then going back in, scraping away, editing. The thick, clotted strokes create a tactile surface, so full of energy it seems ready to burst. It reminds me of Philip Guston’s later work with his bold color and thick application of paint, both working with similar themes of the human condition through a unique, personal lens. It is all one big conversation!