Onduladamente IV 2016

Curator: Alright, let’s dive into Sofia Areal’s "Onduladamente IV" from 2016. It’s an ink drawing, a cascade of monochrome energy, currently residing in a private collection. What's your immediate take? Editor: Restrained chaos, maybe? I'm immediately drawn to the interplay between the bold, fluid lines and the more structured, almost pixelated forms. There’s a real push and pull happening. Curator: Absolutely! That dichotomy is central, I think. Look at how Areal contrasts those sweeping, almost calligraphic lines with the staccato of the textured patches. The title, "Onduladamente," hints at undulation or waves, and those thick, inky lines certainly evoke that. But what restrains them? Editor: Perhaps it's the grid-like textures holding those curves in check—the imposed order battling against free-flowing expression? Semiotically speaking, the grid might signify societal structures, control, even technology in our contemporary reading, whereas the fluid lines signal unbridled passion or subconscious thought. Curator: A delicious tension, no? Those splatters around the edges amplify the spontaneity. They prevent the artwork from becoming too clinical, giving a sense of the artist's hand, the act of creation, remaining beautifully present. The minimalist black and white amplifies the drama, doesn't it? Imagine this in colour; it wouldn't have the same visceral impact. Editor: True. Reducing the palette intensifies our focus on form and texture. We're compelled to examine how Areal uses ink—the varying densities, the controlled drips versus the solid swathes. It transcends pure representation, evolving into a language of abstraction rooted in gestural mark-making. Curator: Indeed. The lines, the negative space, everything contributes to this powerful sense of movement, frozen on the page. I wonder what Areal was thinking at the moment? Something personal surely found it way to the paper in the controlled mess... Editor: Art always reflects, no? "Onduladamente IV" has provided me with much to consider this day about control and chaos. Curator: Yes. For me, this offers an insight of balance, an integration of the artist's internal forces translated through simple monochromatic materials into a thing of beauty.