Galo 1977

Aldemir Martins created "Galo" with what looks like stencils and gouache, maybe even screen printing? Either way, it’s bold and graphic and sits somewhere between a study of nature and an exercise in pure abstraction. I am interested in how the artist arrived at the image in front of us. I picture Martins carefully positioning each stencil, choosing which colours to layer and juxtapose. Look at how those bright primary hues sing against the neutral ground. The color palette is so playful, almost childlike, yet the composition feels sophisticated and balanced. That bright yellow circle evokes the roundness of an egg but it's also radiating like the sun. What I really love about this work is how it captures the essence of a rooster without being overly literal; it’s less about rendering and more about evoking its spirit. You can feel echoes of Matisse’s cut-outs and Léger’s streamlined forms, but, crucially, Martins brings his own Brazilian sensibility to the mix, which gives it a unique energy and exuberance.