Not From Earth 1973

Radi Nedelchev, who was born in Bulgaria in 1938, painted this image of another world, probably without expecting you or I to analyze it today. I imagine Nedelchev layering purples and lavenders to create a strange landscape under a night sky. Up close, you can almost see the brushstrokes building the texture of the ground, dark lines that may be rivers or cracks. What I see in this landscape are these upright figures which are reminiscent of Easter Island statues, rendered in ochre and tan. They are seemingly eroded by time and the elements. I love how they gaze out with their knowing eyes, or maybe that's just the way I read them. They evoke for me a sense of mystery and ancient wisdom. Nedelchev lets the paint and the image convey feeling. There are these strange dark lines that articulate the land, but they also resemble veins. For me, paintings like this exist in an ongoing conversation, sparking ideas, and inspiring the creative process.