JOY 2019

Sergio Mario Illuminato made this painting, Joy, layering oil paint onto the canvas in expressive and intuitive ways. The fleshy hues, built-up textures, and ghostly form, make the painting both familiar and strange. I can imagine Illuminato applying the paint, maybe starting with thin washes and then building up thicker layers to create the textured surface we see. Did he use a palette knife? A brush? His fingers? Each stroke and dab contributes to the overall effect. It’s like he’s searching for the image within the paint itself. That impasto around the eyes and mouth! It's so physical, almost like a mask or a scar. It’s like this figure is trying to emerge from the ground. It reminds me of Guston's late paintings, where the forms are both raw and tender. It’s as if painting becomes a way to explore the depths of human emotion, the messiness and beauty of it all.