The Great Breakthrough 1976

Burhan Dogancay’s, The Great Breakthrough, is an image built with layers of red, black and ochre that immediately grabs you. I can imagine him, brush in hand, circling the canvas, adding layer upon layer of pigment, deciding what stays and what goes, making a painting that breathes. The torn paper element is such a clever device, throwing shadows that interact with the abstract shapes underneath. It's like he's peeling back the layers of reality, revealing hidden dimensions beneath the surface. It reminds me a little of Lucio Fontana's slashed canvases but with a playful, almost trompe-l'oeil twist. That clean white line, slicing through the red? It’s like a lightning bolt of inspiration, cutting through the noise. Dogancay, like all of us artists, is in conversation with the history of painting but bringing his own unique voice. It’s not just about what you see; it’s about how it makes you feel, how it makes you question.