Garden of Earthly Pleasures, Opus # 7 2016

Editor: This is Alexander Roitburd's "Garden of Earthly Pleasures, Opus #7," created in 2016, and painted with oils. I’m struck by how the dark background makes the central figure and abstract shapes float forward. What socio-political currents do you think influenced the piece? Curator: Considering Roitburd's Ukrainian background, it is tempting to look at the way it frames the dialogue between Western artistic traditions and post-Soviet anxieties. This "Garden" alludes to the famous Bosch triptych, right? But instead of paradise or hell, we get a figure engulfed in ambiguity and strange, cell-like abstract forms. The image certainly makes me think about cultural and personal disorientation. Does the juxtaposition of recognizable figure and abstract shapes remind you of any other artists? Editor: A bit, actually. It vaguely makes me think of Francis Bacon, perhaps? Are there elements of institutional critique at play here as well? Curator: Roitburd was incredibly active on the art scene. He was a curator himself, organizing shows. Considering that, how might we interpret the symbolism? Do the "cell-like" images present institutional boundaries or networks that confine the figure or sustain it? The ambiguous setting really complicates any straightforward reading, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely! I’m starting to think that it could be interpreted either way, the "cells" representing simultaneously restrictive and supporting influences. Curator: Exactly. The brilliance of Roitburd is leaving multiple avenues of interpretations, without settling on a single, concrete narrative. Editor: That makes so much sense. Thanks, that really clarifies the complexity of its visual vocabulary within a social and political context!