intimate nature 2014-16
After drawing large format drawing in charcoal for a long time (see my ATC charcoal drawings in Tropico Camuflado), I had the need to stop and break from it all. With the ATC drawings I managed to master a very humble yet demanding technique, in works that by the cheer size were also very physical. As an exercise I decided to embark again in drawing but in a much smaller dimension, very intimate size, and with another quite appropriate and also very humble technique: pencil and colour pencil.
From those attempts appeared very detailed drawings size A3 ( ATC Pencil series A3). To those others followed but in negative: even smaller pieces made with pitt pastel pencil or just white colour pencil on black paper.
Then a very well know designer contacted me about making a drinks cabinet inspired by one of my A3 pencil drawings. Facing a conservation problem I suggested to draw with pencil on the cabinet doors previously prepared with white gesso, using the renascence formula with marble powder.
A whole new series of works was kicked started with the samples the designer requested, of pencil drawings in a small roundels or ovals.
The drawings, giving the very small format, depict almost life-size an intimate landscape of plants from the parks and playgrounds I visit daily with my children. The conspicuous plants reveal themselves as extraordinary under such unlikely representation, rendering the subject-matter almost as an abstraction.