Self Portrait 1960

Valerii Lamakh made this painting using a mix of flat colour planes and brushy grounds. It’s interesting, right? Look at the brushwork in the background. Do you see how the blue paint has been scrubbed in, almost like he’s pushing the paint around with real force? Then you have the ochre and burnt umber colours that make up the face and hands in these clearly defined shapes. It’s not just a portrait. It’s like the artist wanted to make a kind of icon of himself. I wonder if Lamakh had a particular idea of himself in mind, or if it was more about the act of looking, the process of painting itself. Think about the dark outlines around the shapes. It reminds me of Léger, or maybe even some Byzantine icons. Artists are magpies, constantly borrowing and transforming the ideas of others. I bet Lamakh knew this and that’s why he made this piece.