East Village Apartment II 2017

Editor: Here we have Salman Toor’s “East Village Apartment II,” painted in 2017, using oil and acrylic. The first thing that strikes me is this quiet, almost melancholic scene of someone unwinding at the end of the day. There’s such intimacy in this glimpse of modern life. What's your take on this piece? Curator: You know, it’s interesting that you pick up on that feeling, because I see it too! This painting almost hums with the mundane, doesn't it? But beneath that surface, for me, there’s a real story unfolding. This could be a portrait of contemporary isolation and the everyday performance we put on, you know? Toor’s really brilliant at capturing the nuances of contemporary life, especially the tension between vulnerability and nonchalance. Look at the book, the wine glass – are they props in a carefully constructed image? Or just remnants of an ordinary evening? I also can't help but notice what feels like the painter's references in the upper center portion of the image to a sketch in an earlier time? Almost like a tip of the hat to predecessors... what do you think? Editor: That's a cool detail, which raises interesting questions. I had not thought of it from the viewpoint of isolation; maybe my read was a little too simplistic. It does provoke thinking about the everyday moments that construct us and how our experiences relate. Curator: Exactly. That feeling is universal, isn't it? And the painting, with its kind of loose brushwork, enhances that impression. Do you know how he sometimes paints on top of old canvases? I just love that… the layering becomes both literal and metaphoric, like how we collect histories. Editor: Oh, that’s really interesting! So, it's like the artwork physically embodies a personal timeline. That really changes how I see it. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure!