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Oscar Sanàbria Biography
For the past ten years physical structures—bridges, portals, walls,
water towers—and recently, the human body have made up the visual
language in my work. While the texture and line of these architectural
elements inspire the final creations, it is the metaphysical
interpretations of these structures that enhance the meaning in the
paintings.
With this current
exhibition, ...mud
I have chosen to address the issue of Identity. Internally, each of us is
a complex universe that is in constant flux. People are conditioned to
see one another through the lens of culture and our own identities are
influenced by this context created by society. In my piece, “Untitled (Homage to Ralph Ellison),
the viewer must closely inspect the canvas to be able to read some of the
text from Ellison’s seminal novel, Invisible Man. It is by physically coming closer to the work
that one is able to see past the dictated identity that society offers
and, instead, glimpse the unique universe that is the sea inside all of
us.
Process
Water is a permanent
and vital element in all of my work. Water is life. It makes up the
majority of our bodies and without it, we would not exist. I use water as
if it were pigment, painting with it, trying to unleash its
simultaneously creative and destructive nature.
I have added a new
element to my work—Cement. By using cement, I am able to reference
the beauty of the textures found in the weathered remains of Mayan ruins
or the walls of Spanish and Spanish-colonial architecture. Cement cannot
do what it does without the addition of water. It is a vital ingredient
for so much of our built environment and has now allowed me to create the
kind of texture I had been seeking.
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