Autorretrato 1960

Carlos Quizpez Asín’s self-portrait presents us with a study in muted tones and geometric forms. The artist is depicted holding a dark red portfolio against a background of neutral browns, punctuated by stark rectangular blocks of ochre, creating a sense of depth. The play of light and shadow models his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his nose and brow. The composition’s structure directs our focus to the artist’s gaze, which meets ours with a directness that is both engaging and slightly unsettling. The architectural austerity of the background, with its interplay of planar surfaces, suggests an engagement with cubist principles, yet it remains grounded in a representational mode. This tension between abstraction and figuration invites us to consider the artist’s self-image as a construction, a carefully arranged series of lines, shapes, and colors that coalesce into a recognizable form. The somber palette, combined with the rigid geometry of the setting, evokes a sense of introspection, inviting viewers to contemplate the nature of identity and representation within the formal constraints of the medium.