Scene de rue 1998

Aurel Cojan made this Scene de rue with paint, but it looks like he was drawing with it, too. I see marks that are almost scribbles, a whole load of scratches. The painting is mostly very light, made from whites, creams, and a few pinky-red accents. Look how the raw canvas shines through – it's almost like the painting is a ghost of something. Like he's scraped off as much paint as he's put on! Then you get these pools of red, especially in the top right corner. They look like blood, or maybe just roses. There's this one long, thin line right in the middle that goes from top to bottom. It's like a spine holding the whole thing together. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, how he could make so much from so little. Both artists teach us that sometimes, the simplest gestures can speak the loudest. It all stays wonderfully open and up for grabs!