The Robe of Christ 1996

Silviu Oravitzan made The Robe of Christ using paint to form a pattern of squares. It’s a grid, a mesh, a screen—but also, this is a vibe, a radiant yellowy, reddish, kind of shimmering optical field! Just imagine Oravitzan building this up square by square. Was he in a trance? I’m thinking of Agnes Martin and her grids—but she was cooler, more detached and minimal. Oravitzan’s is a warmer, more wonky kind of repetition. Some squares are more orange than red, and some almost disappear into the golden ground. Then these random blue and lilac squares pop up, like glitches in the matrix. There is a handmade quality to the painting, with all its little imperfections and colour variation. A total dedication to the act of painting. We are all indebted to the legacy of painting, an ongoing conversation, inspiring creativity across generations.