Paisatge còsmic, Tharrats-Delclaux 1989

Editor: Here we have Carles Delclaux Is's "Paisatge cósmic, Tharrats-Delclaux," created in 1989, using acrylic paint. It definitely evokes a sort of otherworldly, almost planetary feeling, and I'm drawn to the textural contrasts. What stands out to you in this work? Curator: Well, immediately I consider the material reality of the paint itself. Acrylic, a relatively modern medium at the time, allowed for this kind of layered, almost topographical surface. Consider the labor involved – the repetitive mark-making, the build-up of pigment. Does this detail seem to contradict the apparent ‘cosmic’ theme? Editor: I suppose it does, somewhat. You wouldn't necessarily think of something immense and celestial as having such painstaking construction. I also wonder about his choice to combine a very modern medium with the kind of antiquated, even rustic, feeling conveyed by his brushstrokes? Curator: Exactly. And notice how the geometric forms – the circles – are imperfect, almost handmade. Tharrats-Delclaux seems to be actively resisting a sleek, industrial aesthetic, which would be far more accessible in this medium, to create some tension. Instead, he presents an ‘abstraction’ with clear links to process. How does it challenge the viewer? Editor: It makes me reconsider the idea of "outer space" itself, perhaps thinking about the human impulse to understand it as a means to understand our place in it; it gives materiality even to the immaterial. So much about space exploration and our vision of it today is a very sleek and stylized material product of technology. Curator: Precisely. The artwork makes one ask: does the cosmic truly transcend the terrestrial? It seems he invites us to reconsider art history by grounding abstract imagery with tactile realities. Editor: That's really interesting; now I'm thinking differently about how abstract art relates to material existence and the labor involved in creation! Thanks!