Nico Munuera
El origen de todo lo posible
Man’s first expression, like his first dream, was an aesthetic one.
Artists acclaimed by the most influential circles and the media must have an extraordinary ability to reinvent themselves. A reinvention allows for different interpretations by each artist and observer. The concept of reinvention, however, is commonly approached superficially. In the case of painting, a reinvention is expressed as a formal change on the surface of the canvas in relation to previous works. These variations are usually understood as “evolutions” of the originals, as positive expressions of progress in the artists’ productions. By reinventing themselves, artists can change their discourse and, perhaps, the market.
This exhibition is formed by a series of pieces that reflect upon the concept of origin. Subtle colored shapes mark these canvasses, whose linen can be seen on their edges. The subtlety of these paintings invites the spectator to reflect on the physicity and the nature of the paintings. These pieces also try to teach the spectator a certain way of looking. This is, in essence, learning how to see by painting. The union of some of the pieces in diptychs allows for a better visual appreciation of subtle nuances of what could appear homogeneous by itself.
The titles of these pieces, written in Latin also remind us of the idea of origin, as an allusion to the roots of our language. These words are all related with the sense of sight and the act of observing.
The idea of a physical limit which, at the same time, defines the physicity of the painting itself, reveal our perceptive attitudes both in and outside the painting. Because painting is a source of knowledge, an act of reflection and introspection. It allows us to understand our environment from a very special and intangible perspective.
Although simple, silent and old, the art of painting reveals the importance of looking as a way of making time stop in order to meditate in search of knowledge. A knowledge that sinks down to an original essence that is probably common to all of us. A common ground like painting where we can get a glimpse of the origin of all that is possible.
