Blue Tree III 2010

Romul Nutiu made Blue Tree III, painted with such obvious pleasure in the physicality of the medium. The paint is applied in strokes that feel both deliberate and spontaneous, which to me, is where the magic happens. Up close, you can see the way the brush has dragged and lifted, leaving a textured surface, full of incident. The colour palette is fairly restricted, focusing on blues and greens, with some surprising pops of red and yellow, like little sparks of energy. Look how the blues vary in tone and intensity, creating depth and movement within the network of branches. It’s almost as if Nutiu is mapping a personal experience, laying down marks in response to the world around him. This reminds me of Joan Mitchell’s landscapes; both artists share a similar gestural approach. But where Mitchell’s paintings can feel vast and expansive, Nutiu’s feels more intimate, like a secret world contained within the frame. It’s a reminder that painting is always an ongoing conversation, full of possibility.