Saghmosavank 1973

Petros Malayan made "Saghmosavank" with what looks like watercolor or maybe gouache. See how the tones are built up from thin washes? It gives the whole scene this kind of muted, dreamy vibe. It makes you think about artmaking as an unfolding, a patient layering. The texture here is really interesting – everything feels soft, kind of blurred, but still solid. Look at the stone wall in the foreground. Each stone is suggested, not defined, and that softness spreads into the architecture, softening the building's presence. It’s like Malayan is less interested in the precise details and more in capturing a mood, a memory of a place. This piece reminds me a bit of some early Diebenkorn, that same kind of wistful take on landscape, always hinting that there are stories and feelings embedded in the scene. Malayan is working with ambiguity, making a space for multiple feelings and interpretations.