Moonlit Night 1982

Ivan Marchuk made this painting, "Moonlit Night," with what looks like a very fine brush, or maybe even a pen. I can just imagine Marchuk, night after night, layering these tiny, wiry marks to conjure a landscape glowing under moonlight. There’s something obsessive about that level of detail, but also kind of beautiful. It makes me think of Agnes Martin and her delicate, repetitive lines; but instead of minimalism, Marchuk builds up a whole world. The paint isn't thick, but you can feel the weight of all those marks. I think he must have been in love with paint itself, with the way it can almost knit together to become something else entirely. The painting vibrates and shimmers. It's dark, but those light strokes have a way of catching the light and pulling you in, as if to say, “Come on, I dare you to look closer.”