Painting-Object (Wing) 1980

Florin Maxa made this painting-object, titled "Wing," and it feels like an artifact from an unknown civilization. The use of what looks like thin layers of paint creates a translucent, almost ethereal quality, which gives the impression of a real insect wing. The network of green lines that makes up the wing's structure is what really grabs me. Each cell is carefully articulated. The lines are imperfect, like a hand-drawn map, and they give the piece a sense of organic, evolving form. I can almost feel the artist making small adjustments as they went, embracing the unexpected. I love the contrast between the overall delicate, fragile feel and the sense of structural integrity within the wing's design. This work reminds me a bit of Hilma af Klint's botanical drawings, a mix of art and science, a search for the hidden structures of the natural world. Like Klint, Maxa finds a spiritual dimension in the process of observation and representation. In the end, art making is all about uncovering these hidden connections, isn't it?