Untitled 1968

Vilen Barsky made this untitled artwork with ink, I imagine, sometime in the late 20th century. The black splatters on the top half feel quite graphic, almost tree-like. It is contrasted with a red area that's more diffused, wet, and less definite in form. When I look at this, I think of Helen Frankenthaler, but moodier, perhaps more gothic. I wonder if Barsky built this image up, letting each splatter dry before adding the next. I want to know what he was thinking! There’s something delicate but also sort of violent about the marks – they almost look like explosions. Barsky lets the medium do its thing, letting the ink bleed and pool, the process leaving traces of a very physical interaction between the artist and the surface. It reminds me how artists are in ongoing conversations, inspiring creativity across time. So much ambiguity and uncertainty – but that's the point, isn't it?