Tres bocas 1999

Julio Galan made Tres Bocas, and it’s all about expressive mark-making and a subdued, almost melancholic color palette. I imagine Galan in his studio, layering paint, scraping it back, then adding more, pushing and pulling until faces emerge from the fog. See how he’s scratched lines into the surface? It's like he's excavating the image, searching for something hidden beneath. There’s a real tension here between control and chance. The paint is neither thick nor thin, but almost translucent. A particular gesture, like the dark blue, squiggly lines, feels like an anxious thought made visible, wandering across the canvas, seeking connection. This piece reminds me of other painters who use figuration as a starting point, letting the paint itself dictate the final form. Artists are always in conversation, and with each work, Galan contributes something new. Painting is embodied expression, and embracing ambiguity opens doors for different meanings.