Fausto 1975

Eduardo Arroyo made this painting of a man in a hat, called Fausto, but when is anyone's guess. There’s a simplicity to the shapes, a sort of graphic, flattened feel. The colours are muted, almost desaturated, giving it a sense of distance, like a faded memory. Take the hat for example, it’s like a puzzle piece, fitting snugly, yet separate. The paint handling is smooth, with each area distinct from the next. It's like Arroyo is saying that painting is about deciding, editing, and putting things together. That salmon-colored background, how it subtly mottles and stains, feels like time itself eroding away at the image. It reminds me of someone like Alex Katz, stripping things down to their essence but with a certain European sensibility. I love how this piece offers no easy answers, just a quiet space to ponder.