Hanging Garden 1996

Curator: Take a look at "Hanging Garden," a 1996 watercolor by Ion Alin Gheorghiu. What strikes you first? Editor: The deep greens and blues, juxtaposed against those chalky, almost architectural shapes… It feels like a secret garden blueprint. Slightly unsettling, but with an undeniable earthy charm. Curator: Gheorghiu’s work, particularly in this piece, often explores themes of organic growth through the lens of abstraction. It seems his grounding in Post-Impressionism offers a sense of familiarity while inviting multiple readings. Editor: Familiar is interesting here because I also get this alien-botanical vibe too, something cultivated but completely unknown. The contrast in textures between the solid, darker colors and the wispy lines, the whole thing oscillates between comfort and mild unease. Is that intentional? Curator: I'd say that Gheorghiu is really engaging in the exploration of tension – the comfortable and the chaotic. There's a sense of depth too that, even if abstract, feels referential of a landscape; maybe his inner landscape more so. Editor: The title itself is pretty provocative too, right? ‘Hanging Garden’ evokes all those images of Babylon and fantastical realms, but what's suspended in this context seems more conceptual. Like thoughts hanging in mid-air. Curator: I’m fascinated by the shapes outlined in what seems to be negative space as opposed to the blocks of colour. It encourages my imagination to see multiple things at once, be that eyes in the forest or archways on an old city. Editor: The way you articulate the sensation that emanates from this painting makes it very tempting to meditate on it as long as possible, Curator. Curator: Thank you, Editor, for providing insight in the strange inner life of Gheorghiu.