Portrait 

Curator: Looking at this work entitled “Portrait” by Aurel Cojan, one immediately picks up on the intensity of the color. Editor: Indeed! My initial impression is quite visceral; a sense of barely contained turmoil. There's a rawness to the brushstrokes and the unresolved form evokes, to me, the breakdown of social boundaries and norms that many experience today. Curator: The vortex of swirling pigment, primarily red, suggests emotional turmoil and a powerful release, typical of Abstract Expressionism, an attempt to grasp the intangible aspects of emotion through visceral art. Considering historical depictions of faces and the human figure as culturally defined symbols, Cojan, although creating this ‘portrait’, offers instead the psychological underpinnings of what creates a 'face’ through expressive marks, deconstructing previous conventional ideals. Editor: That deconstruction, or shall we call it the art of cultural unmaking, is especially intriguing. This abstract face, awash in hot tones and bordered by strokes that act almost as both shackles and scars, to me speaks to the imposed identities inflicted upon us. Consider its placement: It almost emerges from a background akin to an archeological excavation, forcing us to re-think portraiture not just as representation but as societal inscription. Curator: That interplay you describe really encapsulates something profound about representation as we explore identity. Cojan manages to challenge conventions without necessarily destroying them, highlighting the universal symbol of personhood from an intimate perspective. The fragmented features and energetic brushwork invite reflection, don't they, on our shared human experiences. Editor: Absolutely, It invites conversations about vulnerability and the power that portraits held for so long in cementing social hierarchies. By almost effacing any sense of a knowable face, this "portrait" opens up dialogues regarding historical and contemporary theories. Curator: In considering its ability to challenge the foundations of established portraiture through these expressive symbols of interior emotion, perhaps Cojan reframes portraiture as a quest into the ephemeral depths of the self. Editor: And what better way to engage a critical public who grapple daily with their own multifaceted social roles? A potent and compelling visual essay!