Untitled 

Curator: Before us, we have an "Untitled" work by Julio Resende, rendered in acrylic. What strikes you about it? Editor: Initially, the vibrancy. It's a very high key composition. The bold colour choices seem almost Fauvist, while the fluidity gives it a dreamlike expressionistic feel. Curator: Indeed. Consider the facture, the very tangible quality of the acrylic itself. Resende builds up layers of paint. Observe how the brushstrokes dance across the canvas, generating a rhythmic, almost musical quality, especially in the way he handles light. Editor: And how the identifiable forms are juxtaposed against areas of pure abstraction. Note, also, the evidence of process, the drips and subtle adjustments. I am curious as to his choices; Acrylic allowed Resende to build texture rapidly and experiment freely with layering, and perhaps the choice was tied to faster production times? Curator: It is interesting, that you highlight the layering of colour which speaks to a tension between planes. But let's turn to the arrangement itself. We see clear references to figuration: human forms intertwined with animalistic imagery, most notably what seems to be a horse jumping above the composition, the way these shapes are deconstructed invites a reading of symbol and sign. Editor: Certainly the energetic forms, combined with this bright colour palette suggest spontaneity, the work comes across as intuitive in its construction. In terms of materiality, was it typical of Resende to use such large scale canvas? Considering how much canvas would impact the final image, the accessibility of affordable mass produced acrylic seems relevant in that creative and practical choice. Curator: His work often plays with themes of freedom, constraint and release. Notice how some figures strain upwards and others are pushed downwards by their own gravity. Editor: These paintings show an important move in Julio Resende’s process in creating his paintings and show both a playfulness in colour choice and also in forms, while exploring acrylics. It allows for expressionist gestures within bold images. Curator: In seeing it all together, it offers the possibility for boundless movement.