Posts from the ‘art writing’ Category
“Lucy and Majorette” 12×9 inches, oil on panel SOLD
“[Ronquillo's] figures borrow from Latin American magic realists like Fernando Botero, while her backgrounds recall the proto-landscapes of Leonardo and Giorgione. The uniform worn by the girl in “Lucy and Majorette” acquires an unsettling quality as much from resemblance to the pretentious, overly-ornamental uniforms worn by South American dictators as from the presence of this vulnerable, white outfit in a dark, looming forest. Yet most disturbing, because most disturbed, is the serious way this young woman holds in her arms not just a spotted pig, but a winged, spotted pig, cradled in her arms in a way that draws attention to the bright red ring she wears on her index finger.” – Geoff Wichert, 15 Bytes
"Hand with Lover's Eye" 7x5 inches, oil on panel SOLD
I came upon eye miniatures on the Ornamentalist blog a few years ago quite by accident. I’ve always been interested in miniature portraits and mementos so the imagery stuck. The miniature portrait started showing up in my works in 2008 with “The Miniature” and an actual lover’s eye last year with “Soldier with Lover’s Eye.”
The surreal aspect of an isolated eye attracts me tremendously—the idea of physical dismemberment which is symbolic of a removal or estrangement of a loved one. For anyone who’s ever been in love or had a crush on someone, the photograph of the beloved is treasured. So these are portable remembrances before the camera so to speak. It also reminds me of the mexican ‘milagros’ – little charms of different body parts used to aid in praying for the healing of broken arms or hearts, or even eyes.
"The Wounded" 10x8 inches, oil on panel SOLD
Compositionally speaking, the framed ornamental eye gives context and a reason for a floating third or fourth eye in a painting. It’s a device of conceit: a portrait within a portrait. For me, it’s an iconic symbol about the figure represented not unlike the reliquaries of saints in old devotional images. In this new series of works, the lover’s eyes are held by uniformed or exotically dressed figures that may have been away at war or estranged in some foreign land. Romance runs the gamut of emotions which can be symbolized by the language of flowers and even physically visible wounds.
"Wounded Hand with Lover's Eye" 7x5 inches, oil on panel SOLD
10×8 inches, oil on panel
SOLD
Rubens closely guarded his drawings as studio secrets and never showed them to the public. He thought they revealed too much of his labor. My own drawings often show a multitude of offenses and corrections… all of which are a visual record of how I think and compose. Drawings expose the evolution of one’s thoughts. Here is the compositional drawing for “A Long List of Offenses”
