Composition 1935

Sirak Skitnik made this painting, Composition, with oil paint. It's kind of hard to tell exactly when, but the way he layers the colors tells me a lot about his process. The paint is thick, not transparent at all, which gives everything a solid, almost sculptural quality. The fiery red forms against the moody blues and grays remind me of volcanic islands. I love the little waves, the way he flicks the brush to create a sense of motion and chaos. What's cool is how he builds up the forms with short strokes. There's a real physicality to the paint, like he's wrestling the image into existence. I see echoes of someone like Marsden Hartley in the simplified forms and bold color choices. It’s like a conversation across time, where artists borrow and remix ideas. Skitnik's painting invites us to see the world with fresh eyes.