Only Gold Can Judge Me
Only Gold Can Judge Me / Златото ми е единственият съдник - Schmincke oils on canvas. Size: 110 x 100 cm, Anton Terziev, 2020 Photo: © the artist. Courtesy of the artist. Title credit: Svetoslav Todorov - journalist, editor and writer
From the "No Time For Losers" seria (2019-)
Last shown at Success and Succession solo exhibition ot Balabanov's house, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2020
Featured in
Speedo Vengeance Mirror Swimming Goggles
In the series No Time for Losers I examine just that – what it takes from you, what and whom you pay, who constructs the content of success as a symbol and metaphor, what is its shelf life? I do it through the well-known moment of triumph, mandatory for sport photographers. A freeze-frame, in which I comment on the role interrelations between the award, the awardee and the award presenter.
I hit the brakes on the rat race for quick, immediate, instagrammable success. This concept is like a tomb. A remarkable pantheon, which you furnish meticulously with awards, trophies in your CV and what not, to the last day of your life.
Whoever wants to be a „relevant participant in the processes“ knows that things like vulnerability, exposedness and sensitivity smell of failure, they don’t make you competitive on the market. Like in sports, whose direct aesthetics I borrow for my series.
From an early age, you have to run in the right lane or track. Lest you compete on top level but outside of the field, or even worse – out of the range of the cameras reporting the game from the pitch.
Only Gold Can Judge Me -detail. Photo: © the artist
Only Gold Can Judge Me by Anton Terziev is a striking oil painting that encapsulates the power, precision, and indomitable spirit of the legendary swimmer Caeleb Dressel. In this piece, Dressel is immortalized mid-swim, captured in the throes of his athleticism with fierce determination. The composition focuses on the moment he surges through the water, his body nearly in perfect form, every muscle taut and ready to propel him forward. Terziev’s use of thick, textured brushstrokes gives the swimmer a sense of fluidity and motion, while the water around him seems to swirl and ripple with an almost hypnotic energy.
The painting is bathed in shades of deep blue and vibrant gold, with gold tones spilling through the piece, representing both the precious nature of Dressel's gold medals and the light that reflects off his triumphant path. His body is skillfully rendered with great attention to anatomy, capturing not just the physicality of the swimmer but the grace and precision that define his career. His face, partially obscured by water, shows a concentrated focus, embodying the single-minded pursuit of greatness that drives him.
The golden elements in the painting are not just ornamental but symbolic, reflecting the intense pressure and ultimate reward of competing at the highest levels. The title, Only Gold Can Judge Me, is perfectly encapsulated in the work—suggesting that for someone of Dressel’s caliber, only the achievement of gold can validate his legacy. The golden tones also emphasize the elusive nature of this achievement, as gold represents not just victory, but an almost unattainable ideal, a goal few can reach.
Terziev’s use of oil paint gives a depth to the piece that allows the viewer to almost feel the water and see the light dance across the swimmer’s form. The piece is both a tribute to Dressel’s greatness and a meditation on the athlete's relationship with his sport and the relentless pursuit of gold that defines him.