Execution 1988

Oleg Holosiy made this painting, called 'Execution,' with oil paint, probably during the late 1980s in Ukraine. It’s a wild scene, like something out of a nightmare, rendered with this urgent, almost frantic energy. Holosiy's mark-making has a real sense of immediacy. The surface is thick with paint, built up in layers that give it a kind of sculptural quality. In terms of color, the palette is limited, a mix of dark browns and blacks, punctuated by flashes of brighter tones, a muted, earthy red especially. Look at the central figure – is he the victim or the perpetrator? The paint is applied so loosely, almost carelessly, that it feels like the scene is dissolving before our eyes. The way Holosiy drags the brush across the canvas, leaving these streaks and trails, adds to the sense of chaos. 'Execution' reminds me of Francis Bacon's distorted figures. Both invite the viewer to embrace ambiguity.