City 1954

Rene Portocarrero made this watercolor painting called 'City' using what looks like a dry brush technique and a vibrant yet earthy palette. You can tell he’s really into the process. The colors have this quality of seeming to bleed into one another, like the edges are always soft. It's not about hard lines. It feels very alive, and the effect is both lively and grounded, which I like a lot! Look at the lower left of the painting where the artist’s signature is. See how the color there seems to have almost exploded onto the paper, as if an event has taken place? This part of the work gives a sense of motion, but it also provides a base and a location from which the city emerges. It reminds me of Paul Klee, who was also really invested in how color and line can create an imaginary world. It’s as if the city has been found, not built. And that is very Portocarrero.