Frozen Lake 1975

Sergiy Grigoriev conjured this painting of a “Frozen Lake” with oil, capturing a landscape in what feels like the dead of winter. Imagine Grigoriev layering these strokes, one over the other, trying to pin down the exact shade of grey in the sky or the glint of light on the ice. The paint isn't too thick, but you can sense the brushstrokes and the artist's hand moving across the canvas. I like the way he captures the bare trees—sort of skeletal against that pale sky. It reminds me of some of those melancholic landscapes by Hammershøi. There's a lone figure walking on the lake, and I wonder what they’re thinking? Grigoriev probably wasn't after some grand statement, but just wanted to capture a feeling, a moment, a sense of place. And it’s those quiet moments that often speak the loudest, don’t you think? Artists are in a constant conversation, picking up where others left off, responding, reacting, and pushing things forward.