Prizren 2008

Gazmend Freitag made "Prizren", a 70 by 70 cm oil painting, with marks that kinda vibrate with energy. It’s like he's wrestling with the paint, trying to pin down a feeling more than a photographic likeness. I'm really drawn to the way the stone bridge in the foreground is rendered. There's this beautiful lumpiness and texture. Each stone is like a tiny, individual daub of color, all jostling together to create the form. Freitag isn't trying to trick us into thinking we're seeing real stones, but is embracing the materiality of paint itself. It’s like he's saying, "Hey, look at this stuff! Isn't it amazing what it can do?" This feels related to folk art, maybe a touch of outsider art, where the rawness and directness of expression are valued over technical perfection. Freitag reminds me a bit of Rousseau, in that way; someone who sees the world with fresh eyes and isn't afraid to lay it all down on canvas.