Untitled 1998

This Untitled painting by Zdzislaw Beksinski presents a vision in muted tones, primarily oil on canvas. Beksinski's approach here feels like a slow, deliberate build-up of layers, a kind of excavation of form from a foggy ground. Looking closely, the surface has this incredible texture, almost like weathered stone or fabric. The paint isn't applied to hide itself, it's present, thick in some areas, thin and transparent in others. The way the colours blend feels intuitive. Take that central vertical form, it’s hard to tell exactly what it is. Some sort of totem? Statue? The surface texture is interrupted by these draping folds which soften the brutal verticals. You can almost feel the artist's hand, coaxing this image into existence, one brushstroke at a time. Beksinski reminds me of Goya in his darker visions, although Beksinski goes further into abstraction. Ultimately, this painting embodies a kind of beautiful uncertainty, a space for imagination to run wild.