Storm 1991

Oleg Holosiy made this painting, "Storm," which measures 100 by 150 centimeters, with what looks like oil on canvas. I love the almost monochromatic drama Holosiy coaxes from his materials, everything's a study in the push and pull of light and dark. The texture in the painting is super interesting. It feels almost turbulent, like you could reach out and feel the chop of the sea. I am drawn to the way the waves churn and peak. They're like dark brushstrokes building up the surface, moving from the foreground of the painting back towards the distant ships. I get a real sense of the physicality of paint. This reminds me a bit of some of Turner's seascapes, but Holosiy has his own urgency. He's not just depicting a storm; he's putting you right in the middle of it, wrestling with the elements, contemplating the human drama of confrontation with powerful forces.