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Curiosity is at the heart of art exploration; it leads us on a path of discovery. It informs us about the human experience, alternative interpretations of the world, and most importantly, about ourselves; things known and unknown. As an art advisor, I am most curious about the visual language of others. Helping someone discover their language through works of art is a beautiful process of exploration. It pushes me to continually expand my knowledge of art so I can more effectively help my clients find the art they seek.
Curiosity lead me to Barcelona Gallery Weekend in search of new art. This event, celebrating its 4th edition, is a collaboration of galleries, museums and curators from all over the city simultaneously hosting exhibitions of contemporary and avant-guard art. I was very impressed with the quality of the art, but there were a few artists who stood-out as exceptional talents worth closer examination. I hope some of these works will spark a curiosity in you, too.
All the best,
Pamela
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Vicenç Viaplana (b. Granollers, 1955)
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Each one of the exhibited works by Vicenç Viaplana is the result of the artist’s pictorial intervention. These paintings incorporate serigraphs which were previously conceived after several photographic manipulations. Each paper is first printed with a series of serigraphs, then he applies the paint on top. The shapes and figures that result from the juxtaposition between photography, print and painting generate a subtle set of formal cadences out of which each work seems to be intertwined with the previous one. As Vicenç Viaplana describes it: “When the sequence was growing, the repetition of elements, such as those in the background, fringes and margins, were suggesting the idea of a visual process. Each work was a ‘frame’ of a cinematographic sequence."
PWAA Comments:
I was really taken with these works; visually enthralling, technically masterful and intellectually stimulating. The artist is not only using an interesting technique, but his execution is flawless. These are meticulously crafted, creating illusions that ask you to look closer. I love the way he bleeds and splatters paint over the edges, reminding us that this is a painting created by hand. Amazing! I think these are superb.
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Solo Recording Session #1.19, 2017, acrylic on paper, 43.3 x 59.8 in.
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Solo Recording Session #2.4, 2017, acrylic on paper, 43.3 x 59.8 in.
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Dominica Sanchez (b. Barcelona 1945)
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Painter, draughtsman and sculptor, Dominica Sanchez uses each medium in harmony with the others. The drawings, usually charcoal and pastels on large format paper, are personal observations of the natural world, marked by a dialogue between the fragile and ephemeral and the muscle of volume. The game between light curves, drawn in pencil, and the dense and opaque geometries that make their drawings creates a balanced space that is described as “an inner landscape.“
PWAA Comments:
I loved the consistency of the language of this artist over her various mediums. Her drawings are exquisite; executed with confidence and precision. She has a deft sense of tone and balance which makes these works feel whole. Her lines enable you see her work transforming into a sculpture and the combination of the two is more powerful than the sum of its parts. I would recommend owning a drawing and a sculpture.
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LEFT: Untitled 1, 2017, charcoal and pastel on paper, 39.4 x 30.3 in.
RIGHT: Untitled 2, 2017, charcoal and pastel on paper, 39.4 x 30.3 in.
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LEFT: Tempo, 2012, iron black, 19.7 × 18.1 × 15.7 in
RIGHT: Tempo 2, 2012, iron black, 21.7 × 20.1 × 20.7 in
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Pere Llobera (b. Barcelona 1970)
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In spite of the formal precision of his painting, the conceptual weight of Pere Llobera’s work has always been one of the chief traits of his work. A meta-referential analysis of his craft focused as much on the dysfunctionality of the pictorial activity as on its power to liberate. A useless and euphoric power – conveying everything that exists onto canvas is wonderful, but it is of no use – that turns the painter into a survivor who cannot help himself and must go on painting.
PWAA comments:
I absolutely love the self-portrait below. In this painting, the artist depicts himself as Superman, strong and powerful, turning his incredible strength against himself. It is such a poignant illustration of how we can use our best attributes to self-sabotage. It is so human and universal...and wildly funny at the same time. This is a brilliant work of art that shows the artist's self-awareness and humility. It is also skillfully painted; the evidence of brush strokes and drips feel like an Abstract Expressionist painting juxtaposed with Pop art.
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Untitiled, 2018, oil on linen, 78.8 x 73.6 in.
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An example from this exhibition of Llobera"s more traditional style:
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Quitamiedos rococó, 2018, oil on linen, 31.5 x 39.4 in.
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Roger Ballen (b. New York 1950)
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One of the most influential and important photographic artists working today. His strange and extreme works confront the viewer and challenge them to come with him on a journey into their own minds as he explores the deeper recesses of his own. His ambiguous and surprising portraits of people, animals or objects posing in rooms that resemble prison cells, occupy the grey space between reality and fiction. He blurs the line between documentary photography and the artistic forms as painting and sculpture.
PWAA Comments:
These photographs are emotionally challenging, but once that is understood, they are entrancing. Not all art is meant to be beautiful or evoke amorous feelings. Roger Ballen confronts us with scenes that explore the lives of people and places we would not normally explore. Additionally, he fictionalizes the scene to blur the line between reality and the surreal. He is an accomplished photographer with a unique vision. This is art that draws you back to look again and again. After seeing these powerful photographs, they continued to resonate. Great art will do that.
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