Moldova 2009

Editor: Eleonora Brigalda Barbas' "Moldova," painted in 2009 using acrylic paint, really grabs your attention. It's so vibrant and expressive. There’s almost a dance-like quality to the figure. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Indeed! The swirling colors and bold strokes definitely evoke movement and emotion. I'm drawn to how the artist uses figuration to seemingly portray cultural identity, or perhaps a specific emotional landscape connected to Moldova itself. What do the colors suggest to you? Do they resonate with the traditional artistic expressions from the region? Editor: I didn’t know to think of that...I saw mostly how the colors contrasted in a pleasing manner. Maybe the bright yellows, blues and reds symbolize some sort of cultural celebration, or even the vibrant countryside. Curator: That’s a great insight. The symbol can also have the darker reading, a more psychologically charged narrative. In folklore, specific colors are often linked to diverse superstitions. But it's how Barbas synthesizes figuration and pure color that reveals deeper meaning in this piece, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely! Considering color from that folklore point of view adds a whole other layer to the interpretation. Now the work comes across as something both vibrant and psychologically intense. Curator: Precisely. And art serves as a record to our innermost being, and “Moldova”, a reservoir for emotions, and it captures both collective memory and subjective feeling. Editor: I had no idea such vibrant colors could hold so much cultural and emotional weight. Thanks for highlighting the importance of symbolism in this piece!