Dance of the Iele 2010

Romul Nutiu made this painting called Dance of the Iele, with what looks like oil paint, in a swirl of browns, yellows, and whites. The artist is really going for it, right? I imagine Nutiu in the studio, totally immersed, brush flying, making these bold, sweeping gestures. Look at those thick, looping lines, like ribbons caught mid-air. I see a dance, a kind of wild abandon. The paint is so juicy here, you can almost feel the texture. Nutiu lets the brushstrokes do the talking, each mark a little burst of energy. The artist doesn’t give us all the answers, which is great; the painting feels like a conversation, and we get to join in, bringing our own experiences to the mix. It reminds me a bit of de Kooning’s energy, that same sense of letting loose and just going for it. Painters are always chatting with each other, across time and space, you know? It's like we’re all part of this big, messy, beautiful conversation, trying to figure out what it means to be human.