Night rider 1911

David Burliuk made 'Night Rider' with oil paint, sometime in the early 20th century. Look at how Burliuk builds up the forms with these tiny, almost woven strokes. It's like he's knitting the image together, one little stitch at a time. For me, that feels so connected to the act of making itself, of seeing where the process takes you. I’m fascinated by the surface, which is quite rough and textured. It’s so easy to imagine Burliuk’s hand moving across the canvas, each stroke adding to this dynamic scene. See how the horse's form is both solid and broken apart at the same time. The colors aren't blended so much as juxtaposed, giving everything this vibrant, almost electric feel. I particularly love the way the pale yellow of the horse contrasts with the darker grays and browns around it. Burliuk, like many of his avant-garde contemporaries, was always pushing the boundaries of what painting could be, something you might also see in the work of someone like Franz Marc. And like all great art, this piece invites us to see the world in a new and unexpected way.