Painted Window 1971

Ivan Tovar made this ‘Painted Window’ and it's like he's inviting us into a visual puzzle. He’s painted some floating, or maybe falling, rectangles of brown and lilac against a deep black ground. Are they stairs, stepping stones, or something else entirely? The paint looks smooth, carefully applied, giving the shapes a soft, almost pillowy feel. I can imagine Tovar standing in front of this window, brush in hand, deciding where each block should hover. Does each one represent an idea, a memory, a dream? It makes me think about other artists, like Giorgio de Chirico, who also played with strange perspectives and dreamlike scenarios. It feels like Tovar is reminding us that painting isn't just about depicting reality; it's about creating a space for the imagination to wander. It's like he’s saying, ‘Here’s a beginning, now what do you make of it?’ And that’s the beautiful thing about painting—it’s an open-ended conversation between the artist, the artwork, and us, the viewers.