Old tree 1995

Curator: Welcome! We’re standing before "Old Tree," a pencil drawing by Mihai Sârbulescu, created in 1995. Editor: My immediate impression is one of starkness. The tree seems isolated, almost burdened by its age, which the artist makes clear in the textures of the branches. Curator: Absolutely. The composition centers on this singular tree, dominating the frame with its complex network of branches. Note the artist’s masterful use of line to convey depth and volume. We can see this with the varying weights in the pencil strokes, suggesting shadows and light. Editor: It also seems significant that we are seeing a lone tree, almost personified as a survivor. Considering the social climate in 1995, this tree, gnarled and enduring, speaks to the capacity for resilience and adaptability, which are crucial themes within any society, be it human or environmental. Curator: Yes, that interpretation resonates. From a purely formal perspective, notice how Sârbulescu employs a restricted palette of grayscale tones, enhancing the stark, almost ethereal quality of the piece. It compels us to observe the minute gradations and textures created by the pencil on paper. Editor: I wonder if there is also an implication of resistance within this piece? An almost confrontational survival amid the artist's milieu. There is beauty, of course, but also struggle, suggesting that the two coexist and even inform each other. The artwork may hint at post-communist challenges with implications of a personal ecological disaster experienced by many Romanian villages. Curator: The monochromatic choice certainly intensifies the impact. This drawing allows us to look beyond color, to appreciate the underlying structure. By that note, look closer at the details—the almost frantic energy in the lines creating that arboreal essence. It invites deep reflection, on nature itself, but also our relationship to it as a means to interpret history and the future. Editor: Exactly, it transforms what might seem like a simple landscape into something charged with emotional and societal resonance, a visual metaphor for strength and change. Curator: Indeed. A fine note to conclude our observation. Editor: Quite. Hopefully, it sparks further engagement.