Traveler with Copper Receptacle 2006

Stefan Caltia painted "Traveler with Copper Receptacle," and you can see right away how he's built up the image, layer by layer, from thin washes to thicker lines. I'm really feeling for Caltia here; he's creating this otherworldly traveler, maybe thinking about the journey of life, or the things we carry with us. The paint isn’t trying to hide itself; it's okay with being awkward. Look at the way the brushstrokes define the wings, how they catch the light and give them a tangible form. It’s like Caltia is having a conversation with painters from the medieval times and maybe even some surrealists. Ultimately, painting is all about exchange, right? Caltia learned from others, and now we get to learn from him. There’s no one right way to see this. It’s open, it's ambiguous, and that's where its power lies.