Amy Winehouse (2015)

The 2015 collection leaves one hanging for a predecessor – but there is none. Neither the compelling rhythms, nor the intricate tracery are precursors for the later paintings of Vîrtosu. Small forms flow into each other, grow and diminish, with an undulating rhythm so deeply tuned in with the psyche of the viewer, that the story unveils itself brushstroke by brushstroke. As the viewer becomes fully aware of the painting, serenity and excitement imbue him as he fills in the image formations… There is a deep cadence in these paintings: compelling tensions are developed, sustained, and resolved.

A stirring testament to Vîrtosu’s captivating mastery of abstraction, “Amy Winehouse” is unquestionably a pivotal exemplar of the artist’s revered oeuvre, as part of the first formal collection created – but not the very first.

Although the composition hints towards the artist’s trademark style, the sharp swirling green background of Vîrtosu’s abstraction more directly alludes to the constant ebb and flow of human dignity, the meaning of which is in fact quite ambiguous. Amy’s public persona was one to feel the frontiers of morality, unintentionally testing the perception of her audience, their biases, in tandem with Vîrtosu’s artistic perspective. But what appears is more often than not only that, an appearance, and behind the flashy and neon colors in our sight is a never-ending black.
i.e. We go back to black…

The form however, servs as a highly personalized expression of Vîrtosu’s desire to “lend specificity to singer legacy”, rewriting and offering the context for re-seeing. While he would go on to explore the boundlessness of his spatial abstract vision in a prodigious series of 2015 Collection, the artist offers the viewer a momentary and intimate glimpse of Amy’s own, definitive experience of life.

Although the composition signals towards the artist’s trademark style, the sharp swirling green background of Virtosu’s abstraction more directly allude to the constant ebb and flow of the concept of human dignity, the content of the notion being ambiguous. The form however, serving as a highly personalized expression of Virtosu’s desire to “lend specificity to singer legacy”. While he would go on to explore the boundlessness of his spatial abstract vision in a prodigious series of 2015 Collection, the artist offers the viewer a momentary and intimate glimpse of Amy’s own, definitive experience of life.