Mythical Horse 2018

This sculpture of a horse by Amin Aghaei—I don't know when it was made, but I can see that the artist was fully present during the making of it, feeling the weight and the textures of the material taking shape in their hands. I can see the marks of their hands all over. It's a kind of verdigris green with touches of bright gold that makes me think of ancient artifacts. But it also feels totally contemporary. I can imagine Aghaei really going to town on the texture, building it up, then maybe scraping it away to reveal the gold underneath. There's a feeling of tension in this horse, it is static, but has the potential to move. You can see this in the way its front legs are positioned, ready to bolt. It reminds me of the horses of Franz Marc, or even the ancient bronzes of the Greeks—but really, it's doing its own thing, speaking in its own voice. For an artist, each new piece is a conversation, a chance to respond to what's come before, while pushing into new territory.