La plume aveugle 1969

Ivan Tovar created La plume aveugle, or The Blind Feather, using oil on canvas. The painting's surface is so smooth it's almost like looking at a digital rendering, but its hard-edged forms give it a surreal punch. The shapes are stacked and cantilevered like a dream balancing act. Take the central column: it's got a bit of everything – plant, animal, mineral – all coexisting in this weird, impossible space. The color is muted, but there are those vibrant spots of red that feel almost like warnings. The whole thing reminds me a little of de Chirico, that similar sense of uncanny stillness, but Tovar's got his own thing going on. There's a sensuality that's hard to put your finger on, like the painting is breathing its own strange air. It's not a puzzle to be solved, but a place to get lost in.