Archangel 2007

Oleh Denysenko's "Archangel" is a painting that really dives into process, you can almost feel him layering the paint. The surface is so worked, it's like he's building up not just an image, but also a kind of history. There's this cracking, crazing effect, especially noticeable in the halo behind the archangel’s head. It feels ancient, like a fresco that’s been exposed to the elements for centuries. The colors are muted, earthy. The gold feels like it’s been burnished into the surface. I wonder if that contributes to the almost unsettling feeling you get when you look at the painting. Denysenko’s work reminds me a bit of Anselm Kiefer, who also loves to build up surfaces with all sorts of materials, pushing painting into the realm of sculpture. But where Kiefer's work feels epic and historical, Denysenko’s has this really raw, personal quality, like a whispered prayer or a folk tale. The frame is also interesting, it looks traditional and a bit battered, like it has its own story to tell. The work invites multiple interpretations.