El jugador fantasma 1936

Angel Planells painted this strange scene, El jugador fantasma, or The Phantom Gambler, with oil on canvas. The forms are rendered so cleanly, with the airbrushed effect of surrealism that I always find unsettling. Yet, it’s also kind of funny, like a cartoon you can’t quite figure out. There's a peculiar tension between the precision of his technique and the illogical, dreamlike imagery. Take that hand for example, rising from the ground to offer a seat to our gambler. The way it’s rendered in this sort of pale, fleshy tone makes it almost believable. That hand rising out of the sand reminds me of the melting clocks in Dali, and the way that Planells creates space from these unusual elements is really intriguing. Ultimately, Planells reminds us that art is not about providing answers but about posing questions, challenging our perceptions, and inviting us into a world of endless possibilities.