Vertical Floating 2002

Constantin Blendea made Vertical Floating using paint, but when? It’s all about process. The way the paint is applied here reminds me that painting is a conversation. Look at the way the blues and whites play against that dark background. There's a real push and pull, like shapes emerging from the shadows. The texture is so interesting, you can see the hand of the artist in every stroke. It’s not just about the image, it's about the materiality of the paint itself, how it sits on the surface, thick in some places, thin in others. The scribbled marks on the semi-circular shapes, with their visible underpainting and scumbled surface, adds a layer of complexity. It makes you wonder about the artist's thought process, how they built up the image layer by layer. Blendea makes me think of someone like Agnes Martin, both interested in the poetics of simple forms. Art is an ongoing dialogue, and this piece has plenty to say.