Íntimo I 2017

Here's a photograph of a table with an arrangement of objects by Francis Naranjo. It's like the artist has laid out elements of a personal cosmology. I imagine Naranjo carefully selecting and positioning each object, perhaps in a meditative state. The arrangement is so neat and delicate. Each element is a whisper, a clue to understanding the artist’s inner world. The cold, sterile lighting reminds me of science. There is an intimacy to this scene, a feeling of being invited into the artist's private space. What I love about painting, and what’s clearly in evidence here too, is how artmaking can be a way of charting and synthesizing our experiences, of making them visible. The line of rocks and the surgical instruments make me think of the thin line between life and death. Maybe Naranjo is showing us his feelings through the material world. I see this piece as part of an ongoing conversation about how we perceive and construct meaning, reminding us of art’s ability to provoke contemplation and touch the depths of our humanity.