Paisajo 1960

Editor: This is "Paisaje," or "Landscape," painted by Albert Rafols-Casamada in 1960. It seems to be done in oil and possibly some other materials. The painting is mostly brown, black and tan, arranged in rough blocks or layers. To me, it gives off this very solemn, almost heavy feeling. What's your take on it? What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: Heavy is a good word for it. I feel that too. What I see here is a dance between control and abandon. Rafols-Casamada, even though rooted in the Catalan landscape, throws us into a world beyond the merely visible. Look at that impasto, that thickness! He's wrestling with the very substance of paint, isn't he? Like trying to sculpt emotion itself. It’s not just a landscape; it's a state of mind. Does the texture call to you in any way? Editor: It does actually. The texture looks so rough, like layers of sediment. So even though it's abstract, there is a definite sense of grounding from that texture and colour. Curator: Grounding! That’s it. Despite its brooding palette, for me there's also a hidden joy. I imagine Rafols-Casamada gleefully experimenting, pushing the limits of what paint could do. Maybe he found a certain… peace…in the process of its creation. What do you think of that? Editor: That’s a fascinating read, that maybe the process of the creation brought that grounding into it. Curator: Absolutely. The 'how' of making is as much the 'what' as what's visibly portrayed! It just becomes something else entirely. Editor: Well, thanks, that definitely broadened my perspective on how to interpret abstract expressionism. Curator: Likewise! It is these shared moments that show us a new way of seeing what’s already right in front of us.