Old Quarter, Yerevan 1968

Curator: Petros Malayan, an Armenian artist, created "Old Quarter, Yerevan" in 1968 using oil paint. It’s an evocative, semi-abstract cityscape. What strikes you initially about it? Editor: There's an immediacy and a kind of naive simplicity that I find compelling. The flattened perspective and the bold blocks of color—yellows and blues—create a dreamlike atmosphere, almost like looking at a memory of a place. Curator: Indeed. The use of oil paint contributes to that rich, textured surface. Looking at the history, this piece was made during a period of significant urban change in Yerevan. The older, traditional neighborhoods were giving way to Soviet-era architecture. Editor: So, is the painting possibly a kind of lament for what was being lost, a representation of the rapid erasure of a particular cultural fabric? The lone figure almost feels ghost-like within the simplified urban landscape. Curator: Precisely. The abstracted forms could be seen as a visual metaphor for that cultural uprooting. There is definitely a social commentary woven into the visual language. Editor: And that visual language leans into an expressionistic style, perhaps reflecting the emotional impact of this transition on the city's inhabitants. The shadows feel weighty, almost ominous. Curator: The fact that he chose to depict an "old quarter" also highlights his interest in documenting and preserving these rapidly vanishing spaces, which underscores the idea of memory, a resistance of sorts. Editor: Right, it is far more than just a quaint city scene, isn't it? Considering it's from 1968, I imagine it’s almost revolutionary, suggesting something profound through this vibrant, deceptively simple composition. Curator: It speaks to the political weight imagery can bear and shows how art can negotiate delicate issues. Editor: Thanks to this discussion, I am seeing Malayan’s art as not just visually captivating but deeply layered with social and historical significance. Curator: A vivid snapshot of Yerevan, at a critical juncture, preserved in striking, evocative oil paint.