Maio 68 (CRS-SS) 1969

This is Julio Pomar's “Maio 68 (CRS-SS)”, the date and medium are unknown. Its composition explodes with angular forms and bold colors - red, white, blue, black, orange, yellow - generating a visceral sense of conflict and tension. Here, Pomar dissects the visual language of power, abstracting the riot police – the CRS – into geometric ciphers. Circular shapes stand for helmets, destabilizing the assumed authority through simplification. The color palette isn't merely decorative; it's a semiotic system. Red evokes the aggression and violence of the state, while the stark white underscores the cold, impersonal nature of institutional power. The painting doesn't just represent an event; it interrogates the very idea of representation, questioning how we decode images of authority and resistance. It leaves us contemplating the structural forces at play in moments of social upheaval.