Researchers of the Depths 1991

Oleg Holosiy made this painting, Researchers of the Depths, with what looks like oil on canvas, and it's like plunging into a murky dream. The strokes are loose, almost frantic, pulling us down into the teal depths. I love how Holosiy uses color here. It’s not about realism; it’s about feeling. The bodies are rendered with such hasty marks, it is a struggle to perceive them as human. The glowing white of their lanterns cuts through the gloom, creating this eerie, almost apocalyptic scene, right? Those marks aren't trying to describe light, they are the light. And look at how the murky water is rendered. See that bit where the dark strokes are almost dissolving into the lighter aquamarine? It feels like something is being revealed and concealed at the same time, in the same gesture. It makes me think of Goya's dark paintings, those swirling nightmares, but underwater. Holosiy isn't just painting a picture; he's capturing a mood. A very uneasy one, at that.