Don Juan (actorul Vlad Ciobanu) 2005

Editor: So, this is Iurie Matei's "Don Juan (actorul Vlad Ciobanu)" from 2005, an oil painting. It has quite a theatrical feel, almost surreal. What strikes me is the contrast between the hyper-realistic figure of Don Juan and the looser, more symbolic elements in the background. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, the symbols whisper stories. Notice how the figure, clearly a representation of Don Juan, stands framed within an archway filled with celestial figures, but with flat irons oddly placed at his feet, an apple lying nearby? The layering hints at time and narrative, doesn’t it? The cultural memory of Don Juan, the actor playing him, and then... the everyday, the domestic. Editor: So, the flat irons aren't just random objects? They seem so out of place. Curator: Precisely. They’re stand-ins for constraint and domesticity, the antithesis of Don Juan's libertine spirit. And the apple? A classic symbol of temptation and knowledge. Matei sets up a fascinating tension, almost like a stage set for the drama between the earthly and the transcendent, the romantic rebellion and societal expectation. Editor: That's interesting. I initially just saw them as bizarre details. Is the celestial background something he often used? Curator: The use of dreamlike space is less consistent than the precise figuration which appears frequently in his portraits of stage figures, blurring the line between individual and the performance that constructs our cultural narratives. Is Don Juan the actor, the character, or a comment on societal freedom? These kinds of symbols offer no finality. Editor: I never thought of it that way – it all feels much more deliberate now. Thanks, that gives me a lot to consider. Curator: My pleasure. These portraits always have multiple histories packed into the space. I love his play with such a timeless symbol.