Head I 2011

Dumitru Gorzo made this head out of oil paint. The face is awash with blues, pinks and yellows, all hemmed in by a decisive black line. I think Gorzo is trying to get at the underlying emotional life of his sitter. It’s like he’s stripped away the surface, and instead, we get the engine room—the place where feelings churn and change. Those big, staring eyes! Are they full of fear, or wonder? And then, the blue tear-streaks zigzagging down the face. That feels so raw, so exposed. I bet he was trying to pare things back to their essence, and by doing so, make us feel something real. You know, it reminds me of other painters who weren’t afraid to dig deep into the human psyche. There’s something of Francis Bacon in there, maybe even a touch of Munch's "The Scream." We see the face, but it’s also a map of the artist’s own feelings and concerns. It’s like they’re all in conversation, each pushing the boundaries of what painting can express.