Boss of the Plains 2018

Vincent Xeus created this moody painting, Boss of the Plains, working with oil on canvas. Right away, what grabs me here is how the whole image is drenched in blues, like a memory fading into the depths. It's the kind of palette that makes you feel like you're looking through water. The brushstrokes are really evident, especially in the background. You can almost feel Xeus dragging the brush across the canvas, creating this sense of atmosphere and space. And then there's that lone figure in the foreground, sporting a hat that just screams 'cowboy.' The hat brim casts a shadow, hiding their face and adding to the mystery. It's not about a specific person, but more about a feeling, an idea of the West. The single dab of gold paint near the bottom feels like a little wink. It reminds me a bit of Van Gogh’s mark making, or maybe even a Cy Twombly scrawl – just a little something to keep you on your toes. Ultimately, the painting feels like a meditation on the myth of the cowboy, filtered through a contemporary sensibility.