The Workshop 1981

Editor: We're looking at "The Workshop" by Carlos Quizpez Asín, created in 1981, using acrylic on canvas. It's an interesting piece. The geometry of the composition is quite striking, yet it feels somewhat disjointed, even dreamlike. What formal elements jump out at you? Curator: The formal elements function as signifiers in an organized system. Consider the flattened perspective and how it negates any realistic depth. We must ask how this stylistic choice impacts the visual weight and symbolic import of the piece. The division of the painting field relies on the figures to organize space within defined color boundaries and creates the visual hierarchy of near and far. Notice also the limited tonal palette— predominantly earth tones. Editor: That’s a fascinating point about the flatness. I hadn't really considered the implications for spatial depth and symbolic meaning before. It feels like the painting is resisting being a window onto another world. Why do you think Asín went with a flattened plane here, what meaning do we derive from such stylistic choices? Curator: The flattened picture plane underscores the painting's own materiality as object rather than illusion. We see paint on canvas asserting its own existence. Furthermore, observe the interplay between light and shadow on the artist figure. Do these areas interact and combine into a cohesive picture, or serve to make the piece one that seeks balance on the painting plane alone? Editor: So, by denying depth and emphasizing the surface, Asín directs our attention to the physical properties of the artwork itself. It's more about the “how” than the “what” in a way. That’s quite insightful! I see that Asín directs a painterly focus by utilizing planes of juxtaposed shapes of browns and off-whites. Curator: Exactly. The emphasis shifts from representational storytelling to the formal arrangement of colors, lines, shapes, and the very stuff of paint. The intrinsic values are essential for proper understanding. The painting seeks to be appreciated for line, form, space, color and composition; with its individual elements and unified whole as evidence of artistry. I'm delighted we agree.