Portrait of Halyna Yablonska 1966

This is Vudon Baklytsky’s ‘Portrait of Halyna Yablonska,’ made with oil paint and brushstrokes. These are traditional materials, and his approach is rooted in the history of painting. But the way that Baklytsky has handled the paint is anything but traditional. Look at how thickly he's applied the paint, almost like plaster or clay. The weight and texture of the oil become key, and the image is built up with a kind of additive process. It's as though he wanted to construct the portrait rather than just paint it. The effect is rugged and unrefined, but also incredibly direct. You feel the force of his hand, and the presence of his labor. Baklytsky seems to be saying that the act of painting, the sheer hard work of it, is as important as the subject matter itself. It reminds us that art is always made by someone, somewhere, with specific materials and processes. That is why the social dimension of art is always present, however abstract it may seem.