Motif from an East Slovak village 1925

Curator: Upon initial viewing, the high chroma color creates a striking scene but has a primitive mood. The planes of color forming the village seem compressed, flattening pictorial space. Editor: That's an interesting reaction. This piece, "Motif from an East Slovak Village", was completed in 1925 by Ľudovít Čordák. What strikes me is how he translates the mundane realities of rural life using those planes of colors and visible brushstrokes. It feels less about precise depiction and more about evoking a specific atmosphere, and specific structures that may be in disrepair.. Curator: I concede to its expressive impact; how light is conveyed to flatten the depth of the planes is successful. Looking closely at the build-up of pigment gives this depiction more visual information to discern spatial elements in the composition. The buildings on the periphery become abstract forms; the texture and composition invite further analysis, although they fail to represent conventional approaches in art. Editor: Agreed. Consider that Čordák, while trained academically, chose a subject readily available – an east Slovakian village. His use of impasto gives these commonplace structures – thatched roofs, plaster walls – an unexpected weight and dignity, while adding to the physical substance of the canvas. Oil paint, usually used to mimic surfaces is here, proudly claiming itself. The visible layers of the build-up paint show the making process. Curator: But consider the implication that visibility of process brings? Are we not considering it the same way an unfinished work from other painters is examined? I propose this application to represent the texture and forms creates an expressive dimension of formalism at play. Editor: Perhaps it's that tension between material honesty and the pursuit of expressive form that makes this piece so compelling, it straddles a traditional medium and the landscape it depicts. One could propose, what impact does making such work, that would in theory have the intent to be sold in the capitalist market system. Would that commodification then detract from the intent and process in making this painting? Curator: An astute perspective, certainly enriching the discourse. Editor: Indeed. Thanks for walking with me through this piece, as our own impressions of the materiality have shifted.