Ballet Dancer 1943

Alexandru Ciucurencu has rendered this ballet dancer with oil paint, using dabs of white and blue against dark brown, in a way that makes me think of the French Impressionists. I can feel Ciucurencu’s process of enquiry through the act of painting, as he sought to capture something of his subject. He's trying to translate a lived moment, full of feeling, into paint. The blue of the dancer's tutu is such a striking colour, and the texture is so palpable; it's like he has built that tutu up, layer upon layer. I wonder, was Ciucurencu drawn to the light reflecting from the satiny material? Artists are always looking at other artists. Think of Degas's many paintings of dancers and you can start to imagine how they might have inspired Ciucurencu here. He may have asked himself: how can I contribute to this ongoing visual conversation? It is an embodied expression, which invites ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings and meaning over time.