The Lago Station 2010

Consuelo Hernández made 'The Lago Station,' a 100 x 150 cm painting, perhaps in recent years, with an even, considered touch. The making feels like a thought-through process, where mark and hue are applied with a plan. The colors are so even, like a wash of diluted acrylics across the canvas. Up close, the surface has an almost chalky texture. Look at the shadow of the figure in the orange top. It’s a dark, almost inky stain that suggests depth but also a certain flattening effect. The cool blues and grays of the station platform meeting the bright blue of the sky gives the piece a sense of endlessness, yet it’s also quite contained. Hernández’s vision has a similar feel to that of Giorgio de Chirico, who made cityscapes imbued with a sense of mystery and alienation. Ultimately, art is not just about what we see, but how we feel, and 'The Lago Station' invites a kind of quiet contemplation.