Head I 2011

Dumitru Gorzo made this 'Head I,' sometime, with what looks like acrylic or maybe oil. You can see the hand of the artist so clearly in those loose brushstrokes, that feels important. The texture of the paint is smooth, and the colors are blended in a way that makes me think about skin but also the atmosphere. The black outline that defines the face is bold but somehow doesn't contain the expression, it allows it to spill over. The single and double blue lines that cascade from the eyes feel raw, like they've been applied directly from the tube. It's so moving; I feel like I am looking at a face that is falling apart. I am reminded a bit of Francis Bacon, but with a folk art twist, that raw energy. I think art is always an ongoing conversation, a way of sharing our experiences without necessarily pinning them down to one fixed meaning.