Cover Design, For a Novel 1988

Aydin Aghdashloo made this cover design for a novel at an unknown date, using mixed media. The portrait emerges with a sort of delicate, tender touch. Look at the tiny strokes that make up the sky. It’s like a storm cloud brewing with soft pastels. I’m really drawn to the materiality of the surface. It's not just the colors, which are muted and dreamy, but also the subtle textures. The artist layers the colors, creating this really complex, almost velvety feel. It’s like the paint itself is whispering secrets. My eyes keep going back to the man's face, and the tiny detail of the spectacles. I’m thinking of Balthus, who had a similar talent for creating strangely unsettling but emotionally resonant worlds. These guys are asking us to slow down, and really look at what's in front of us. It's not about answers, but about embracing the questions and the mysteries.