Imereti. Red road 1918

David Kakabadzé made this landscape, "Imereti. Red Road," with a very clear vision. He must have been thinking of the land as something constructed, because it’s laid out in these distinct patches of greens, yellows, and reds, like someone piecing together a quilt, or maybe planning out a chess board. The paint isn't too thick, but you can see the distinct strokes, each one carefully placed. That red road slices right through the green, leading the eye, like, where? What’s down that road? It makes me want to follow it with my finger. There’s something a bit off, or strange, about the perspective, which flattens the hills and valleys. It reminds me of other artists who were trying to find new ways to depict space. It shows how artists build on each other’s ideas, trying to push painting in new directions, embracing uncertainty and ambiguity.