Untitled 1954

Here's a painting by Manoucher Yektai, with surfaces built up from thick layers of paint, a jumble of creamy whites, greys, blues, pinks, greens, and browns. I can imagine him, years ago, trowelling the oil onto the canvas. It’s all about that push and pull, the give and take. Maybe he layered the paint, scraped it back, and then layered some more. It’s a messy, physical process. I wonder, was he trying to capture a feeling, a memory, or just the sheer joy of smearing paint around? See how he uses the knife to lay down these dollops of paint, creating a thick impasto surface? The edges of the brushstrokes catch the light, giving the painting a real sense of depth and texture. He's like, “I’m here, I’m present, I’m making my mark.” You can see this kind of mark-making in abstract expressionism. It’s all connected, this conversation between artists across time. Painting is about embodied expression and ambiguity, opening up a space for multiple interpretations.