I Have Looked 

Vasile Dobrian made "I Have Looked" in 1965, a print with a muted palette of dark blue, sky blue, and tan. The artwork presents a stylized landscape, perhaps a forest scene under the night sky. This simple, almost childlike style is a deliberate artistic choice. Consider the social climate in Romania during the mid-20th century. As a Soviet satellite state, artistic expression was heavily monitored. Artists often had to navigate strict censorship. Dobrian’s move towards abstraction could be a subtle form of resistance. Avoiding overt political statements allowed artists to explore deeper emotional and philosophical themes, offering a retreat from the harsh realities of the time. The title itself, "I Have Looked," is evocative and quietly powerful. To truly understand Dobrian, we would need to delve into archives, personal letters, and the broader context of Romanian art institutions. The meaning of art is always intertwined with the social and political forces that shape its creation and reception.