These paintings marry the ephemeral to the eternal, resulting in a series that forces the viewer to question his or her own corporeality.
Solo show
Antonio Murado presents his viewers with a group of paintings that illustrate an evolution in the artist's oeuvre. Murado has blended the aesthetic of his extraordinary landscapes and their implications of exposure and vulnerability together with the sense of sanctuary and fortitude found in the wall. Elegant, emotive, and spirituality evocative, these paintings marry the ephemeral to the eternal, resulting in a stunning series that forces the viewer to question his or her own corporeality.
Brimming with emotion, each canvas is a resolution of the antithetical notions of flatness and depth. Murado adeptly combines the solidity of the wall with the atmosphere of the landscape while somehow preserving the visual distinctions of each. Murado's erudite facility and application lend to the appearance of a time-worn surface, the layers and texture of which suggest wisdom and sagacity. Color is seamlessly blended and in its abstraction, alludes to the work of the Color Field artists. The presence of the works is palpable, offering the viewer a transcendent experience.
This single body of work offers dual visions wed by what they represent: solitude and abandonment, self-reflection and repose. These vast expanses of uninterrupted space, some of which recall Dutch landscape paintings, are a metaphor for a singular, transient human existence. The wall, by virtue of its permanence, offers proof of that existence, standing as a silent witness or diary onto which our biographies are inscribed; it becomes a source of equanimity, solace, and stability in volatile world. The universal appeal of these works, both visual and cerebral, offers no trace of irony, serving as a reminder of our essence and humanity.
Image: Antonio Murado, Pineiro, 2006 oil on canvas 50 × 45 1/4 inches
Lucas Schoormans
508 West 26th Street New York