Christopher Columbus (2016)

The very name “Christopher Columbus” conjures ideas of exploration and freedom in the mind of any individual who has heard about the exploits of the explorer. These feelings are aptly translated into this wonderful piece created by the expert abstract artist Gheorghe Virtosu. Just as Columbus managed to create a connection between two distinct worlds, Virtosu attempts to meld the central focus of his painting with a distinct background in order to lure the audience into a brand new context.

The choice of colors in this piece make a poignant point and can be deciphered as a representation of nature, individuals, and cultures culminating into a singular moment. The background utilizes soft and supple colors accentuated with jagged brushstrokes, and these hues are often seen during dawn and dusk, representing the many days of voyage Columbus spent under the transforming skies. The central focus of the piece, however, features a combination of soft and bold colors, intended to create a complexity befitting the journey of a triumphant explorer. The seemingly non-complimentary shades blend together with near-perfection, the juxtaposition intended as a commentary on the impact Columbus had on numerous non-complimentary cultures that were forced into collision during the discovery of the Americas.

Only a few artists tackle a wide range of topics such as Virtosu does with his body of work, but his reasons for doing so are clearly meant to transform the state of mind of the audience and teleport the collective imagination to strange and exciting places. The journey into an important milestone from our past has been seamlessly created by this master abstractionist.