Untitled 2012

This untitled artwork was made with oil on canvas by Paul du Toit. It has a raw, almost primal feel. I imagine du Toit working quickly, intuitively, building up layers of thick impasto. Notice the dominant blues and blacks, punctuated by small areas of red and white. The paint is really loaded on there, creating a textured surface that begs to be touched. The central form resembles a face, with swirling eyes of contrasting colors. Maybe he was thinking about identity, about how we present ourselves to the world. The bold brushstrokes evoke a sense of urgency, as if he's wrestling with something deep within. I see a dialogue with artists like Dubuffet and Basquiat, who embraced the raw and unfiltered in their own work. Painting is a conversation across time, where artists continually respond to and inspire one another, and this piece is no exception. It is a reminder of the power of painting to capture emotion and express the inexpressible.