Tauromaquia 1951

Oscar Dominguez made Tauromaquia with paint, and what strikes me is how the paint is both controlled and wild. There are clear outlines describing shapes, but also moments where the brush seems to dance with a life of its own. The colors are bold, but not blended much, which keeps things raw and immediate. Look at the bull's body – it's broken up into geometric shapes, like stained glass, but the thick black lines give it real weight. Then there's the matador, so stylized and upright, almost like a paper doll. I'm drawn to the way Dominguez contrasts the flat planes of color with these dynamic lines; it gives the whole scene a feeling of tension, a kind of teetering balance. It reminds me a little of Picasso, but with a rougher, more visceral edge. Like art, a bullfight can be interpreted many ways.