Face 1988

Oleg Holosiy made this painting, Face, with oil on canvas, and it is just loaded with feeling! The monochrome palette and the loose gestural marks give it such a raw, immediate vibe, I can almost feel the artist working, pushing and pulling the paint around, trying to capture something elusive. The paint looks applied wet-on-wet. You know how the colors blend together on the canvas? I think he must have wanted to make something that feels urgent, not labored. But maybe it was labored too! I am struck by that single, sharp green eye, peering out from the darkness, and the little dab of red that suggests a mouth. With only these subtle details, Holosiy evokes an entire world of emotion. The gesture reads like an echo of other artists throughout history. It suggests a shared understanding of the human condition, with the creative process becoming a dialogue across time. It feels open-ended, and maybe even a little bit unsettling!