Tête de cheval 2015

Carlos Sablòn made this painting of a horse’s head with small brushes and delicate strokes. You can almost see the artist coaxing the horse into being, one careful line at a time. I wonder what Sablòn was thinking about while making this? Maybe the romance of the animal, the sweep of its mane against the landscape, or the way we use images of horses to tell stories about our lives. See how the artist punctuates the painting with red dots that seem to float above the surface. It reminds me of those old master paintings with hidden symbols, but here, the meaning feels more open. I'm interested in how the artist creates a mood with these visual cues, echoing work by painters like Odilon Redon, who used symbolism to evoke feelings and ideas. The conversation between painters goes on and on. Sablòn’s work is an invitation to dream, a reminder that painting can embrace uncertainty and allow for multiple ways of seeing.