Visions of quixote 1989

In 1989, Octavio Ocampo made this oil on canvas called Visions of Quixote. Up close, the brushstrokes seem pretty tight and controlled. The earthy colors are blended so smoothly that it's easy to miss how the image keeps shifting, like when you see shapes in clouds. Look at the faces that make up the base of the image, it's a bit like they are emerging out of the ground. The surface is carefully built up with layers of paint, creating a kind of optical illusion. The way the light and shadow play across the surface is very effective. This reminds me a little of Arcimboldo, with his portraits made of fruits and vegetables. It is a reminder that art is not just about what you see, but how you see it. It’s about how artists throughout time keep finding new ways to play with perception.