La Calanque, Cavalaire 

Alexis Gritchenko made this oil on canvas painting, La Calanque, Cavalaire, using the traditional materials of easel painting. But there is nothing traditional about the way he applied them to the canvas. Gritchenko loaded the paint, and the painting, with gestural brushstrokes in a mosaic-like pattern to capture the essence of light and form. His material handling is visceral. The thick impasto of the oil paint gives the surface a tangible, almost sculptural quality, transforming a conventional scene into a highly expressive landscape. The processes Gritchenko employed are tied to wider social issues of labor and production. Each brushstroke represents a deliberate action, reflecting the artist's physical engagement with the materials and the work involved in its creation. He was part of a generation that emphasized the importance of individual expression and creativity. Paint is cheap and allows for great expression with very little means. By emphasizing material and making, Gritchenko challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft and encourages us to appreciate the artistry inherent in the creative process.