Modular Composition I 1965

Romul Nutiu made this painting called Modular Composition I, using layers of brushstrokes in a limited palette of blacks, grays, whites, and reds. I love the idea of modularity here – it feels like Nutiu is building up a world, piece by piece. I imagine him in the studio, caught up in the act of painting, each gesture responding to the one before. The painting emerges slowly, shifting and changing. You can feel the artist’s intuition at play. There are puzzle-like forms and shapes that resemble dumbbells. Nutiu seems to ask, how can we create a system in which the parts work together to form a cohesive whole? The red is like an alarm, set against the monochrome. Painters are always talking to each other across time, inspiring each other's creativity. This piece really resonates with the work of other process-based artists. Painting offers a space for ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for endless interpretations.