The Phoenix Bird 1990

Viorel Marginean painted 'The Phoenix Bird' with what looks like very delicate brushwork, giving the bird an almost ethereal quality. The reds are so vibrant, like the bird is bursting with energy, and the hints of blue add a touch of coolness, a kind of calm within the fire. Up close, you can see how Marginean built up the feathers with these tiny, individual strokes. The paint isn't thick or gloppy; instead, it's applied in thin layers, almost like watercolor. It's as if the bird is emerging from a mist, or perhaps dissolving back into it. I think about Arthur Dove in relation to this piece, Dove’s work also has that feeling of things constantly changing, never quite fixed. This painting feels like a moment captured, a fleeting glimpse of something magical. It’s a reminder that art doesn't always have to shout. Sometimes, the quietest voices are the most powerful.