Dauka 4 1989

Małgorzata Serwatka created *Dauka 4*, and it feels like it emerged rather than was made. It's 46 by 33 cm, and it looks like it might be oil on canvas. The palette is muted—grays, blues, pinks—but the gestures are big and bold. I imagine her moving the paint around with purpose, the canvas a site of inquiry. What if I put it *here*? What if I try *this*? The swirls and coils remind me of Eva Hesse, only with more oomph. Hesse's sculptures have a delicate, almost fragile quality. But Serwatka's painting feels more primal, more urgent. There's a tension between the controlled brushstrokes and the raw, unbridled energy of the composition. You get the feeling that it is something that must have taken her a long time to make. This makes me think about the creative process itself. We can draw inspiration from others, but ultimately, we're all just trying to find our own way.