Cowboy of the universe (2016)

This is yet another piece by artist Gheorghe Virtosu that tackles a complicated and intense topic with a sense of revelry and child-like enthusiasm. The title itself – “Cowboy of the Universe” seems like the concoction from the mind of an over-imaginative, zealous adolescent, and this is exactly the frame of mind the auteur wants the audience to keep while observing this piece.

Even the two most important terms in the piece – Cowboy and Universe, are meant to create contradictory connotations in the mind of the audience. A cowboy belongs to the Wild West – a symbol of a bygone era meant to be an ode to masculinity and freedom. Placing this almost mythical figure in the midst of the context of the universe takes the mind of the audience to strange and exciting places – the perfect blend of science fiction and a spaghetti western. The first element that stands out in this work is the choice of the color lavender as the predominant shade in order to create a contrast in a dense and murky background. The foreground elements almost appear to be playful and youthful in comparison to the intensity created by the charcoal greys and subtle reds surrounding it.

It is evident that the artist is trying to draw a direct comparison between the complexity of creation and the youthfulness of our ideas in comparison to the grand creator. We are relatively new in the plane of existence, and even our most mature and masculine ideas are only a child’s dream when compared to the enormity and multifaceted nature of the universe.