Untitled 1995

This is an oil painting by Manoucher Yektai, it doesn't have a title but I would call it Portrait with Jacket because that's what I see first! The approach is all about the making – thick paint, built up like a delicious cake. I love the way the texture of the paint creates a sense of depth and physicality. The colors, though muted, are surprisingly vibrant, like they’re whispering secrets to each other. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the brushstrokes, especially around the jacket, it almost feels sculptural. Then, notice that smear of white just under the chair – it’s like a ghostly echo. It speaks volumes about the artist’s process, the back-and-forth, the adding and subtracting. Yektai reminds me of Guston, how they both used a kind of clumsy, honest approach to make paintings that are full of feeling. For me, this painting shows how a single artwork can hold so many different feelings all at once.