Silent Listener 1943

Oscar Dominguez’s “Silent Listener” is a painting made with oil, that performs a high-wire act between figuration and abstraction. He uses an earthy palette of greens, ochres, and reds, creating a harmonious but strange interior. Look at how Dominguez fractures the figure and the phonograph into geometric forms. It is almost like he is building up the image from component parts. There is something so intriguing about how he constructs this scene. The faceting and the use of shadow is reminiscent of Picasso, but the muted colors are all Dominguez. The figure’s form is an open construction site, revealing something about vulnerability and the self. I love that there is a phonograph in the image, implying sound, but also silence. Perhaps this references a moment of reflection in the midst of a busy life. Silent Listener offers us a space for our own interpretations. Art is an ongoing conversation, it's about embracing ambiguity and the multiple meanings that emerge with time.