Art
Sections
Highlight
Sections
Highlight
Artist Patricia Paz has been seeing a lot of white butterflies around her lately - an occurrence she considers to be a good omen, which is also why the insect appears in many of her paintings that she is currently showing during her first solo exhibition in Madrid. Her art, which incorporates pop art and ceramic sculptures, will be on display at Galería Tönnheim, in Carabanchel, until 25 May.
The Malaga-born artist tries to discover "who we really are and where we are now in life" through her work and "with symbolic elements from nature". More and more she feels the need to be in contact with nature, to get away from concrete, which translates into her work. Patricia Paz approaches the everyday with a touch of magical realism. As in the piece that opens the exhibition, a large-format painting that serves as a transition between the cowboy style, that marked her previous production, and what is to come. The central image in that piece is Lana del Rey - the prototype of the American girl, the cowboy hat being only in the shadow as an element that is slowly disappearing to give way to new work.
Paz enjoys playing with thought-provoking visual narratives. That is why everything is arranged in a way that would encourage the viewer to go beyond the superficial and look for the metaphors, for what is not seen at first glance. "My creative vision, the way I use the brush and my hands, aims to challenge the perception of reality and rethink certain aesthetic dogmas," she says. Her works are rich in vibrant colours, a touch of mystery and challenging visuals.
Patricia Paz once again resorts to the flame as a symbol of awareness, of the revelation of a reality. In one case, it is a white butterfly that carries the fire to illustrate this discovery of the natural. The insect appears again in other paintings, in a subtle but evident way. In another one of the large paintings, the flame is a clue for what is taking place: a long dinner table where the woman presiding over it is in fact a reflection and there is no plate in front of her. "In that moment of bustle, she suddenly sees herself on the other side and she realises that what surrounds her is not in tune with what she is living," she says.
The candelabra in the centre of the table physically comes out of the painting in the form of ceramics - a material that Paz is increasingly adding to her art, to the point that she is now participating in the next edition of cerARTmic, the contemporary art and ceramics fair hosted by the Fundación Ortega y Gasset in Madrid in June. Both in her paintings and in her sculptures, she does not seek the hyperrealism of the figures, but rather the spontaneous stroke. In her sculptures, she leaves the imprint of her hands. Paz does not work with moulds, which is why she tries to be faithful to reality, more so than with oil painting, giving her sculptures a clumsy, imperfect touch, with a certain comic sense. "After all, not everything in life is so perfect, is it," she says.
Also in three dimensions, Patricia Paz uses irony to model a knife inscribed with 'How to survive modern art' and she reinvents her iconic cowboy boots that were a hit from the first time she exhibited them at Casa Sostoa. This time, she breaks them apart, as if they were coming undone. She could repeat the formula that worked, but she doesn’t want to. She prefers to keep exploring her language and seek new directions.
The gamble works for her: there is no turning back. She knows that the exhibition in Carabanchel is a leap in level, the entrance to a more professional circuit where emerging artists rub shoulders with international benchmarks of contemporary art. "I'm super satisfied," she admits with a smile.
Publicidad
Publicidad
Publicidad
Publicidad
Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.
Reporta un error en esta noticia
Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados
¿Ya eres registrado?
Inicia sesiónNecesitas ser suscriptor para poder votar.