Sem título 1993

Curator: What strikes me most immediately about this mixed-media piece from 1993 by Julio Resende, referred to simply as "Sem Título" or "Untitled," is the vibrant tension of colours layered across the surface. It's got such energy! Editor: Yes, a raw and somewhat unresolved energy. But let’s delve into those forms a bit more. Do you see the suggestion of figures, almost totemic, holding what appears to be a large fish? Curator: I do. It certainly lends a ritualistic feeling, doesn’t it? I wonder if it relates to local mythologies around fishing and abundance that might have resonated in that time. Editor: Possibly. The fish as an ancient symbol can represent a myriad of things – fertility, transformation, even a Christ-like figure in early Christian iconography. Here, rendered in a fragmented, almost cubist style, its significance seems intentionally ambiguous. Curator: Ambiguity being central to this work, wouldn't you agree? Look at how the acrylic paint seems to resist resolving into distinct shapes. It's reminiscent of post-impressionist leanings, a movement known for its subjective interpretations of reality. Editor: Quite right. The medium itself communicates something crucial here. The layering of paper collage on top of expressive paint strokes indicates an active and destructive building process. Curator: And a certain social commentary on imposed structures of meaning? An artist fighting against definition? The piece seems to argue against singular interpretation. Editor: Precisely. Resende seems to pull from a wellspring of collective cultural imagery, hinting at layered, subconscious narratives. The 'Untitled' itself speaks to that reluctance to confine the art with labels. Curator: Perhaps it suggests the impossibility of distilling lived experience into a single frame, a struggle for meaning we see reflected in many artists facing a new world order after the political upheavals of the late 20th Century. Editor: A fruitful perspective. This "Sem Título" becomes a site of questions, a dynamic space that resists static interpretations. Curator: And remains, I suspect, open for our continuous exploration and engagement, a dialogue, if you will.