Prosperity (2017)

Gheorghe Virtosu is a primary master of the abstract art movement and school. From the perception of viewer who has not engaged with abstract art, Virtosu extended beyond it and challenged its limits. This is evident from the many works executed including the present work. Prosperity by Gheorghe Virtosu is a jubilant, improvisatory burst of shapes and colors. The central of the work is a large figure formed by pleasing, curved lines, which meander in an out of each other to form shapes, which ultimately comprise a large abstract figure which takes up the entire centre-right of the canvass.

"If we are to discuss artistic expression, my art is, in all ways, a close expression of myself: my thoughts, my emotions, my actions and reactions to life in general…" - G. Virtosu.

At the top right of the figure, the shapes are large as the curved lines intersect in less places. In other parts, such as the centre and to the left, the shapes are densely packed as the lines quickly dart in and out of each other. The background is a pale texture of blue and grey. The shapes form a colorful tapestry.

Although the work is primarily abstract, various images form the otherwise formless dance of shapes. Most notably, the entire form bears a vague resemblance to the ghost of a goat or a hoarse. The top right portion of the figure appears as the head, out of which horns and ears come forth. The tail of the goat appears out of the bottom left of the shape. However, no other discernable parts of the goat can be found, suggesting merely an ethereal phantom. Below the horns of the goat, we see a blue profile of a human face inscribed within the overall weave of images.

The background is divided into two parts. Most of the background is dark with wispy brushstrokes of gold and silver. However, in the top, above the amorphous figure, there is no gold or silver and is thus even darker than the rest of the background, suggesting the shadow of the primary figure in the painting. Everyone can appreciate a piece of artwork because it speaks to each individual in unique ways—therein lies the criticism of subjectivity. Art comes from within oneself, and it is expressed in the external world for the entertainment of others.