Night in the Steppe 1983

Ivan Marchuk created this painting, Night in the Steppe, using his distinctive technique of layering thin, almost thread-like strokes. The surface of the painting shimmers, doesn’t it? It's like a million tiny hairs are standing on end. Up close, you can see how each stroke varies slightly in tone and direction, building up a dense, vibrating texture. The paint isn't thick, but the sheer number of marks creates a palpable sense of depth. The moon, a pale disc, seems to push the woven sky away from it. It’s a meditative act to make so many marks. This reminds me of Agnes Martin, or maybe Yayoi Kusama with all those nets. It is a painting that invites you to get lost in its intricate details, but also to step back and feel the vastness of the steppe. There's no single way to read a painting like this, and that’s what makes it so interesting.