Ras de Tramort 1993

Editor: This is Modest Cuixart's "Ras de Tramort," created in 1993, using mixed media. It gives me a primal feeling, like looking at cave paintings, especially with those earth tones and abstract shapes. How do you interpret this work? Curator: That sense of primal imagery is keen, excellent observation! It speaks to something deeply ingrained in our collective visual memory. Consider the title – "Ras de Tramort" - perhaps hinting at the "stroke of death" or "end of life". The forms, almost totemic, suggest figures emerging from or dissolving back into the earth itself. Do you notice the dominance of ochre and burnt umber, colours intimately tied to the earth and the history of image-making? Editor: Yes, I see that. It's like the artist is using the colours to connect with something ancient, a shared past. That red circle—is it meant to be a sun, or something else entirely? Curator: It certainly draws the eye, doesn't it? It could represent the sun, a symbol of life, or, given the possible interpretation of the title, perhaps the setting sun, representing the close of a cycle. And what about the angular black lines? How do those resonate with you? Editor: They seem almost like fragments, broken pieces. Maybe representing a breakdown of form, or perhaps, an attempt to reconstruct something lost? Curator: Precisely. Cuixart’s layering of these fragmented forms and earthy colours invites us to contemplate the cyclical nature of existence and our own place within it, doesn’t it? Visual signs trigger associations. What we see often echoes what we already carry within us. Editor: It’s fascinating how something abstract can feel so grounded and evocative. I hadn't considered the title in relation to the imagery before; that connection really deepens my understanding. Curator: Indeed. Artworks such as these invite us to look beyond the surface, triggering reflections, sparking memories, building knowledge. It changes how we look and how we see.