Guadarrama 2013

Alejandro Cabeza made "Guadarrama" with paint, of course, but look how he wields it. It's like he’s constructing the mountain right there on the canvas. I can imagine him standing before this view, squinting, trying to capture not just the sight but the feel of the Guadarrama. See how the strokes of color build up the forms, almost like geological layers? The blues of the sky are so immediate. Then there is the way he applies the whites and yellows to suggest light hitting the peak. It feels kind of physical, right? That little tree in the foreground—it's not just a tree. It’s a dance of green, a counterpoint to the solid form of the mountain. I like to imagine Cabeza finding his own voice in the landscape, adding to this long tradition of mountain painting. Each painter brings their own questions, their own way of seeing and feeling the world. Painting is a conversation, don’t you think?