Introduction
“Come out and play!”
How long has it been since we last heard that?
And we’ll never hear it again, except perhaps from our own children.
But there was a moment when we heard it for the last time…
—
Daniel Bulimar Henciu captures through his unique style such a meeting between childhood friends. The depicted scene takes place around a table, where children discuss, make plans to play, or invent new games.
The vivid colors faithfully render the feeling of childhood nostalgia, evoking those memories full of wonder and joy that many of us carry in our hearts. The painting, executed in an expressionist style, captures and evokes the innocent joy of childhood lived in a protected and loving environment.
“The Outsiders” is a tribute to those unforgettable moments of childhood, to that dreamlike sensation, suspense, and curiosity that is intrinsic to that period.
The technique of synthetic cubism, which deliberately breaks down the composition, is masterfully used with two main intentions. First, to authentically reproduce the evocation of memories, and second, to be a universal landscape that can adapt to any viewer eager to rediscover pure feelings from youth.
Because as time progresses, our memories seem to fragment, losing their crystalline clarity of the past. Just like the forms represented by Henciu that capture how old memories become fragile.
However, this stylistic portrayal has a dual role. Besides reproducing disintegrating memories, it also aims to include as many viewers as possible in the scene through undefined forms that allow imagination to easily fill the gaps with each person’s subjective projections. Thus, every viewer participates in creating art and becomes a collaborator with the artist.
This lack of complete definition of characters allows for personal interpretation, an increased degree of personalization, which enables viewers to easily transpose themselves into the work. A concrete and clear rendering of the characters might not have awakened the same emotional impact and immersive involvement. In this way, we can deeply penetrate the depicted emotions, into the memory of emotions from the past, exactly as the artist wanted to render them.
It’s no coincidence that the fragmented forms are vibrantly colored; the expressionism used aims to convey the amalgam of vivid emotions captured in the work.
Moreover, it should be mentioned that impressionism in cubism is an almost impossible technique to master, as the two movements are diametrically opposed. Impressionism unites, while cubism divides. However, Henciu’s technique shows unimaginable mastery, and he manages to combine with calculated delicacy the visibly fragmented contours of the silhouettes when viewed from a distance, as is customary with any impressionist work.
And this effect further enhances the symbolism of memories, which dissipate with advancing age. As the image of childhood is complete and well-seen only from a distance, just like the old memories of a person that fade with the passage of time.
Interpretation of Symbols
Symbols:
- The table where children sit: This symbolizes the meeting point and communion of childhood, the place where friends gather to create memories, play, and explore the world together.
- The black lines scattered in the background: These represent the sounds of childhood, the joyful and uncontrolled play of voices that filled the air with energy and vitality. The playful lines create a sense of movement and agitation, capturing the “childhood noise.”
- The vivid colors and composition disorder: Reflects the chaos and vitality of childhood, an unplanned and spontaneous period, where each day was an adventure. This disorder is a metaphor for the unpredictability and freedom specific to that age.
Evoked Feelings
The painting evokes a deep nostalgia for childhood, with all its associated positive emotions: vitality, energy, freedom, innocence. At the same time, the work can induce a sense of melancholy, as it reminds the viewer of the passage of time and the loss of that carefree period.
Ideal Use
This work would be ideal in a modern living room, where it would add vitality and energy to the space.
It would also be suitable in a corporate office, private office, or a waiting room, where it could stimulate creativity and introspection.
In a bedroom or entrance hall, it would create a comforting atmosphere, evoking pleasant personal memories.
The work can also beautify a main hall or an anteroom due to its size and visual impact.
Color Analysis
Total Colors: Pink, Passe-Velours, Nacarat – Pearl Red, Alizarin Red, Capucine, Red Currant, Vivid Fire, Caramel, Brown, Carbon Black, Sunset, Yellow, Corn, Topaz, Silver, Celestial Blue, Lapis Lazuli, Canary Blue, Opaline Green, Episcopal Violet, Petrol Blue, Anthracite, Viridian, Onion Skin, Hooker’s Green, Azure Frost
Color Significance:
- Vivid Fire Orange and Pearl Red: convey vibrant energy and warmth, reflecting the intense activity and cheerfulness of childhood.
- Celestial Blue and Topaz Yellow: evoke serenity, optimism, and freedom, bringing balance between the dynamism of warm colors and the calmness of cool colors.
- Green and Pink: these shades add a sense of freshness and nostalgia, reminiscent of childhood springs and games in nature. Together, the colors form an energetic palette, full of contrast, that conveys the dynamism and unpredictability of childhood.
Artistic Movement
The work falls under Synthetic Cubism, with evident influences from Abstract Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism.
In Synthetic Cubism, forms are fragmented, and elements are simplified in an abstract manner, and here we see this in the rendering of children’s figures and the surrounding space.
Abstract Expressionism brings the energy and gestural movement of the painter, while Abstract Impressionism is found in the subtle way colors evoke emotions and how the image unifies when viewed from a distance.
Working Style
- Technique: Layering, Palette Knife, Gestural, Calculated Brushstrokes
- Materials: Acrylic on Canvas
The painting style is gestural, with calculated brushstrokes and texture created through knife use.
The artist uses layering to create depth and visual complexity, and the free and unconventional lines seem to follow a playful rhythm, suggesting the uncontrolled movement of children.
The main material used is acrylic, which allows colors to be vivid and have quick drying, perfect for this type of spontaneous execution.
Composition
- The subjects of the work are the abstract figures of children and the central table. These are suggested through quick but controlled strokes and mixed colors, leaving much room for interpretation.
- The Arrangement of Elements is dynamic, with elements arranged apparently chaotically, but with an inner sense of order.
- The composition’s balance is asymmetric, reflecting the dynamism and unpredictable nature of childhood.
- Proportions and Scale are distorted, giving the impression of a fragmented perspective, typical of Cubism.
- The focal point is the table and children around it, while the rest of the scene becomes more abstract as the eye moves away.
- Line and Form are generally irregular, but their fluidity suggests movement and energy.
- Color and Contrast are strong, with a combination of cool and warm tones that create a harmonious tension.
- Space and Depth are suggested through the overlapping of forms and subtle changes in chromatic tones.
- Rhythm and Visual References are created by black lines, which guide the eye through the work and create a sense of continuous movement.
Associations and Inspirations
Daniel Bulimar Henciu seems to be inspired by Joan Miró in his use of vivid colors and abstraction of figures, as well as by Gerhard Richter and Lucio Fontana for the gestural energy and layered technique of painting.
Conclusion
Finally, the mastery with which “The Outsiders” was created by artist Daniel Bulimar Henciu, who portrayed a childhood scene in a universal way, evokes deep feelings of nostalgia and joy that are precious to us, those who were lucky enough to live such moments, and which are a refuge of the spirit in some more difficult moments of adult life.
Because the painting is a symbol that invites contemplation, it creates a calm and meditative atmosphere that can encourage deep conversations, especially if placed in an area exposed to curious eyes, such as a modern living room, waiting room, or corporate office.
The future owner of this piece will become a Cultural Patron who supports and promotes local values. It is a title that few people carry, but which is highly appreciated in society.
This piece complements any refined space in which considerable investment has been made, being complementary to modern luxurious decors, which often impress through simplicity and minimalism but do not stimulate the senses.
In most decorations, walls remain the most neglected, despite being the focal points that can elevate a room and can impress any guest through a carefully chosen piece.
And this happens because the selected painting represents the owner and honors them in front of others.
Because paintings are among the few decorations that highlight the deep thoughts and emotions that an owner has and which, normally, must be made known through long conversations.
A well-chosen painting can do this in a few minutes.
And it can continue this task for a lifetime, even more so when we remember that this precious good is passed on to descendants.
And with time, the value of such an object inevitably increases.
For it is a unique and inimitable piece that is in the possession of only one person, its rightful owner.
Therefore, if you feel that “The Outsiders” is right for you or that it conveys to you and others the feelings with which you identify, don’t hesitate to call us to reserve it.
