Description

Modern Sisyphus

Acrylic & Oil Abstract Expressionist Painting of Human Struggle.

This compelling painting, “Modern Sisyphus,“ captures the eternal human struggle through a minimalist yet symbolic approach. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the composition features a stylized, nearly abstract human figure climbing a steep incline, burdened by a colossal, spiral-laden boulder on his back. The imagery evokes the myth of Sisyphus, symbolizing perpetual effort, existential resistance, and resilience in the face of futility.

Rendered in stark, expressive lines and simplified forms, the figure is outlined in bold black, contrasting powerfully against a vivid yellow background and earthy brown slope. The boulder, filled with concentric, maze-like patterns in shades of mauve, gray, and brown, becomes a visual metaphor for mental burden, repetition, and entrapment.

The artist’s use of acrylic creates a richly textured surface, offering depth and dynamism despite the flatness of the forms. The yellow background adds a surreal vibrancy, amplifying the emotional gravity of the scene with an unsettling tension between brightness and struggle.

Style:
Abstract Expressionism / Symbolism / Contemporary Figurative Art

Emotion:
Determination, struggle, perseverance, existential burden, introspection