Dans la Nuit or Nostalgie 1986

Paul Guiragossian made this painting, Dans la Nuit, using an earthy palette of yellows, greens, reds, and blacks to create a striking composition. I can almost feel him there in the studio, brush in hand, coaxing the paint across the canvas. It’s like he’s building up layers, adding strokes, wiping them away, finding his way through color and texture. Those vertical strokes, like bars, maybe, are not quite a barrier, but more like figures, or a crowd? There’s something about the materiality of the paint itself. It's not trying to trick you into thinking it's anything other than, well, paint. The thickness and thinness of the strokes create depth and movement. Guiragossian had this way of making paintings that felt both deeply personal and universally resonant. He’s in conversation with so many painters who came before, each adding their voice to this ongoing dialogue. And ultimately, this painting isn’t just about what Guiragossian put on the canvas, but about what it stirs in us—the questions it raises, the feelings it evokes.