Artworks
Casa Luis Barragan 3 [House Luis Barragan 3]
painting
Date
2010
Technique
Oil on wood
Dimensions
33,5 x 53,5 cm
The Venezuelan Lisbon-based artist Juan Araujo explores the interplay between painting and Art History through the universe of printed editions of art books, catalogues and art reproduction, which stands at the core of both practices. Araujo uses illustrated books as the subject of his paintings, especially books related to Latin American Modernism in architecture and design.
In a hyper-realistic style, the artist does not only reproduce accurately the photos taken from the books, he also depicts their presence and materiality as physical objects. By doing so, he displaces the image's usual framing and, instead of limiting the depiction to the chosen reproduction, he includes its outer margins within the frame, that is to say the book's environment with its pages, binding, printed text, cover and support. The art of inpictured-pictures, including - a priori
non-pictorial elements within the pictorial space, prevents the possible “window effect” of immersion in another reality. While restoring the canvas' two-dimensionality, the process adds an extra and surprising “page effect”.
On a wide portion of its small-scale surface, the painting offers a view on the interior of the Mexican architect Luis Barragán's personal house in Mexico City (1948). The dexterous representation of the architect's living room, with its noble materials, furniture and large window on a magnificent garden captivates the eye. The space is infused with beauty, simplicity, harmony, serenity and a glowing natural light, all constant properties of Barragán's impressive creations. One can also notice the painting within the painting with the presence of one of the several - Homage to the square,
produced in the 1950s by Josef Albers.
Araujo's work spurs a reflection on the dynamics of transmission within artistic practices. With its broad range of references and visual quotations, from architecture, design and painting to photo and book edition, it reveals the complex and stratified visual and cultural history of which artworks are made of.
KS
In a hyper-realistic style, the artist does not only reproduce accurately the photos taken from the books, he also depicts their presence and materiality as physical objects. By doing so, he displaces the image's usual framing and, instead of limiting the depiction to the chosen reproduction, he includes its outer margins within the frame, that is to say the book's environment with its pages, binding, printed text, cover and support. The art of inpictured-pictures, including - a priori
non-pictorial elements within the pictorial space, prevents the possible “window effect” of immersion in another reality. While restoring the canvas' two-dimensionality, the process adds an extra and surprising “page effect”.
On a wide portion of its small-scale surface, the painting offers a view on the interior of the Mexican architect Luis Barragán's personal house in Mexico City (1948). The dexterous representation of the architect's living room, with its noble materials, furniture and large window on a magnificent garden captivates the eye. The space is infused with beauty, simplicity, harmony, serenity and a glowing natural light, all constant properties of Barragán's impressive creations. One can also notice the painting within the painting with the presence of one of the several - Homage to the square,
produced in the 1950s by Josef Albers.
Araujo's work spurs a reflection on the dynamics of transmission within artistic practices. With its broad range of references and visual quotations, from architecture, design and painting to photo and book edition, it reveals the complex and stratified visual and cultural history of which artworks are made of.
KS