Kapri Saloje 1924

Vytautas Kairiukstis painted Kapri Saloje with oils, in a way that feels like he’s building a world from simple shapes. Look how he uses colour, not to describe reality, but to create a mood, a feeling. The orange sail, or is it a building? It’s made with these visible strokes, like he’s layering thought upon thought. I love that you can see the hand of the artist so clearly, it’s not trying to hide its making. The pale blues and greys in the background are flat, calm and a bit mysterious. It’s like a stage set, or a dreamscape. Then that thick orange gash divides the canvas, it's so bold, it brings everything to life. It reminds me a little of some of Léger’s bold compositions. It’s this conversation between abstraction and representation that makes it so interesting. It’s not one thing or the other. It’s both, and neither, all at once!