I am Late at the Racine Festival 2017

Alexander Roitburd made "I am Late at the Racine Festival" in 2012, and it feels like he was playing with watercolors, letting the pigments bleed and blend, embracing the happy accidents that happen when you don't overwork things. The skin tones are these delicate washes of pink and peach, like a sunburn fading. Then, BAM, that earthy brown blob he's emerging from, it's all juicy, drippy marks, like he attacked the paper with a big, wet brush. It's kinda gross and beautiful at the same time. Look closely at the string or tape he’s holding, so thin and bright against that muddy ground. It's like a lifeline, or maybe a tightrope he's trying to balance on. Roitburd reminds me of Marlene Dumas, in his raw, unflinching portrayal of the human form. Both artists capture a certain vulnerability, a sense of being caught in the act of becoming.