Untitled 1965

Georgi Kovachev created this painting, likely with gouache or thinned oils, using blocks of color to explore the relationship between the figure and surrounding forms. I can imagine Kovachev, eyes fixed on the canvas, moving the paint around until a new kind of presence emerged. It's like he's after something hidden. He has built up these shapes bit by bit, orange abutting black, a dash of red. The paint isn’t too thick, yet it has a kind of immediacy. I like the feeling of the painted surface itself. See how the black outlines don’t quite match up? That triangle of orange on her chest, pointing downwards? What does it mean? Kovachev isn't afraid of ambiguity; the painting revels in it! We can see this approach elsewhere in his work, as well as the work of modernists like Marsden Hartley. Artists continue to have this conversation across time, building upon each other.