Prehistoric Figure 1980

Charles Garabedian made this painting called Prehistoric Figure with visible brushstrokes and a vibrant palette. Look at how the sky is rendered, those confident vertical strokes suggesting movement, almost like rain. The pink figure dominates the canvas, built up from layers of paint, giving a fleshy, almost raw quality. See that sinuous line running down his back? The artist has used both thick and thin paint to create depth, building up the form with short, deliberate marks. The ground beneath his feet is rendered with a looser, more gestural approach. Garabedian's work often draws on classical imagery, but here, it feels almost like a raw, primal scream, not unlike some of the work of Francis Bacon or even, dare I say, Cy Twombly. The ambiguity is what makes it so compelling; it's not about fixed meanings, but the process of seeing, feeling, and thinking.