Chameleon 2008

This amorphous digital painting, “Chameleon,” by Stepan Ryabchenko seems to embrace artmaking as an unpredictable, ever-shifting process. The colours are slick and glossy, like candy, and these abstract shapes feel playful, even if they’re hard to pin down. Ryabchenko’s manipulation of digital tools is evident in the smoothness of the forms. I’m drawn to the way light plays across the simulated surfaces. It’s as if he’s sculpting with light and shadow, bending and shaping the forms in a way that feels both familiar and alien. There’s one spot, near the middle, where a swirl of blues and reds creates a kind of vortex, drawing me into the heart of the image. It’s like a glimpse into another dimension, where the rules of physics don’t quite apply. Ryabchenko’s exploration of form and colour reminds me a little of early work by Albert Oehlen. Both artists seem interested in pushing the boundaries of their chosen medium, embracing the possibilities of chance and experimentation. Art, after all, is a conversation across time, a back-and-forth between artists and ideas.