Figuras 1993

Menez painted "Figuras" with visible brushstrokes and a muted palette punctuated by moments of vibrant colour. I imagine Menez approaching the canvas, maybe with some sketches, but mostly trusting his gut. He probably started with loose washes of colour, gradually building up the forms, letting the figures emerge from the ground. I can see him squinting at the painting, stepping back, then diving in again with a loaded brush. It's a dance between intention and accident, control and release. Look at the way he's rendered the folds of the yellow dress – it's almost sculptural, like he's carving light and shadow with the paint. The blue figure in the back is barely there, just a suggestion of a person, like a fleeting memory. Artists are always in conversation, borrowing and stealing from each other across time. Menez nods to art history, but reinterprets it through a contemporary lens. It’s about how each painter finds their voice in the chorus, adding something new to the ongoing dialogue.