“The painting, Atop Olympus, shows five figures –– presumably Greek gods and goddesses. Four of them are naked, though it seems like the artist doesn’t care to clearly distinguish their genders. At the center of the composition is a female figure, dressed in contemporary clothing and wearing mismatched shoes. Who is she? Why are her arms raised to the sky? Each of us would probably come up with different answers, and this is the mystery and irresistible attraction of Garabedian’s art.”

Tune in to tonight’s broadcast of KCRW’s Art Talk with Edward Goldman for coverage on Charles Garabedian’s current exhibition Sacrifice for the Fleet.

On view at L.A. Louver through 7 November 2015.

IMAGE: Charles Garabedian, Atop Olympus, 2015, oil on canvas, 53 ¼ x 68 ½ in. (135.3 x 174 cm)