Buddha In The Desert. Version 2013

Alexander Roitburd painted "Buddha In The Desert" with what looks like oil on canvas, but the date is unknown. There's something about the way the paint is applied here; it's not about blending or smoothing but more about building up a surface with visible strokes. Look at the Buddha's robes, how the orange is layered with reds and browns, creating this vibrating, almost palpable texture. You can see the hand of the artist, the energy of his touch. And that's what gets me, this physical engagement with the paint. It’s like the desert itself, a landscape built from countless individual grains of sand. See how the rocks are formed of chunky impasto, dabs of paint that catch the light? It reminds me of Van Gogh's landscapes, that same urgent need to translate feeling into form. It’s not just about representation; it’s about the act of painting itself, the struggle and the joy of bringing something into being.