Tancat amb xiprer 1987

Joan Hernandez Pijuan made this, Tancat amb xiprer, sometime in the 20th century with paint on what looks like a pretty raw canvas. I love the way the ochre paint is brushed on, almost like a wall that's been whitewashed a few times. You can practically feel the give of the brush and the absorbency of the fabric. There is something about the simple shapes—the rectangle, the lines—that speaks to me of a space held, or contained. You can see the texture and the color of the surface are very present, the physical sensation of the paint and canvas very real. Note that the painting isn’t trying to hide its making; it's all about the gesture and the materiality of the medium. And those drips! See how they add such an emotive quality, like tears or rain on a window. Pijuan seems to be in conversation with artists like Antoni Tapies, in that both are interested in these earthy tones, and simple gestures. I see Tancat amb xiprer as a testament to the power of embracing simplicity and ambiguity.