Untitled 1990

Here's a painting by Yuri Zlotnikov, made with simple strokes of paint. I can imagine him working quickly, playfully. The palette is clear and bright, with reds, yellows, blues and greens thrown against the white background. It’s kind of joyful, like the artist is having a conversation with himself, using the canvas as a place to think aloud. There’s something about the openness of the composition and the rawness of the gesture that gives it a really fresh feeling, as if it was just made this morning. I look at those red blobs going up the canvas and wonder if he was thinking of musical notations on a scale, or a visual alphabet of some kind? I keep thinking about how artists are always learning from one another, building on what’s come before while also trying to push things in new directions. Painting is a form of expression that's constantly evolving. There's always more to discover, more to learn, more to feel.