Composition#7 1960

Editor: We’re looking at Valerii Lamakh's "Composition #7" from 1960, done in acrylic paint. The painting bursts with raw energy; it's all vibrant colors applied with seemingly unrestrained gestures. How do you approach interpreting a work like this? Curator: I'm particularly interested in how Lamakh’s physical engagement with the materials manifests itself. The gestural application of paint – you see the thickness, the layering, the sheer physicality of the act. Do you think about what acrylic paint meant for artists at that time? Editor: Well, I imagine that acrylics, being relatively new then, offered possibilities for bold color and faster drying times compared to oils? Curator: Precisely. This speed allowed artists like Lamakh to build up layers rapidly and to explore new techniques. Notice how the dense layers create texture. It’s almost a matter-painting effect. This relates to post-war explorations of materiality, doesn't it? What are your thoughts on the overall mood created by such methods? Editor: I see how the intense colors and textured surface could convey a sense of urgency and even unease, fitting for a time of global tension. There is something viscerally compelling about his way of working. Curator: Exactly! The materiality speaks to anxieties around industrialisation. In essence, we are left with questions of what matters most. What has stood out for you? Editor: How considering the materials and techniques opens up richer cultural readings of abstract art. Curator: Agreed. Looking at the art this way contextualizes it firmly in its time, revealing the social dimensions of making art.