Bouquet by the sea 1960

David Burliuk made this painting, Bouquet by the Sea, with oil on canvas. Look how the marks just keep going, building, layering, it really feels like Burliuk understood artmaking as a physical, almost all-consuming process. The paint is thick, almost like frosting, creating a real texture you can almost feel. The colours are vibrant, clashing in a way that feels both bold and kind of naive. Take a look at the way the flowers are rendered. Up close, they're just dabs of colour, but from a distance, they bloom into these rich, full forms. It reminds me of Van Gogh, but with a kind of wildness that's all Burliuk's own. It’s like he's saying, "Here's a world of colour, of texture, of pure, unadulterated feeling." Burliuk's work really captures the idea that art is an ongoing conversation, a way of seeing and experiencing the world that embraces all kinds of interpretations.