Glória Do Artista 1933

Alberto da Veiga Guignard’s painting gives us a portrait of the artist in a dreamscape of floating heads and mountainous forms. I see Guignard in his studio layering thin glazes of colour, building up a ghostly vision of art and artist. The smooth, flowing lines are like melodies, weaving in and out of each other, creating surprising harmony. The muted greens and blues, punctuated by touches of red, set a contemplative mood. I’m thinking of Odilon Redon and his symbolist visions, but Guignard brings a South American sensibility. The figures have an otherworldly feel; they are not quite grounded in reality, yet they possess a quiet emotional depth. He’s probably thinking about the role of the artist, about the voices of ancestors in his head. But what is the artist without the world? This painting, like all paintings, speaks to a long history of image-making. Artists are always looking at each other's work. I can feel Guignard finding his own place in the conversation.