The parting of Hector and Andromache #5 2010

Alexander Roitburd made this painting, "The Parting of Hector and Andromache #5," with oil paint on canvas. Look at how Roitburd has built up the surface with layers of brushstrokes, creating a shifting and emerging image through trial, error, and intuition. I try to imagine what it must have been like to make a painting like this. It’s like the artist is wrestling with something primal, like a feeling you can't quite name but is deeply embedded. The paint application is so physical; you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the canvas, pushing, pulling, and coaxing forms into existence. See that stroke of red cutting across the lower portion? It feels raw, like a sudden burst of emotion breaking through the surface. Roitburd is in conversation with other painters too. All artists are inspired by one another's creativity. This painting is an embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.