Temptation method 1990

Vasiliy Ryabchenko's "Temptation Method" is a large-scale painting with figures rendered in a way that feels both classical and totally off-kilter. There’s something so satisfying about the way Ryabchenko builds up this scene using luscious, juicy paint strokes, sort of like stacking thoughts one on top of the other. Check out the fleshy tones around the figures; they almost seem to be emerging from the shadows, which is cool, right? I can almost feel the surfaces because of the way he works the paint. The little Cupid playing the flute is especially compelling. That slash of red for the flute is like a visual dare, pulling your eye right into the heart of the painting. The muted purple that the image is set against reminds me of some of Philip Guston’s later work, in the sense that both artists use colour to create the atmosphere of a dream. It reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation.