Bedstraw Basket 2006

Stefan Caltia painted Bedstraw Basket with oils and a loaded brush, working intuitively to conjure this dreamlike scene. There’s such a beautiful tension between the flat expanses of color and the textured surfaces. Look at how the mustard yellow background seems to push forward. Then, notice the dark and sculptural form of the buffalo, and the thin, scumbled line of the water. The eye is invited to travel around the canvas, discovering little details, like the tiny bird perched on a wire. Caltia’s work reminds me of Marc Chagall. Both artists create a sense of magical realism, where folk traditions and personal symbolism intertwine. What do the plants signify? What is the relationship between the girl, the bird, and the buffalo? The ambiguity is precisely what makes it so compelling. It invites our imagination to fill in the gaps.