My Statement

In my work, I wish to present a challenge to myself about notions that I believe are easily accepted. One that has occupied my interest for a long time is the connections between religion and art. Religious images are still disproportionately charged with emotion and the interaction of human figures with these images still creates emotional responses.

I am therefore constantly using the human figure in my work. The work shows my interest in how the shapes of the human body harmonize with each other whether the body is on repose, or tension, or in contact with other bodies. I find the emotional response to these images has lasting significance. Using the human figure should evoke warmth and energy through the color references and from the rhythmic lines of the body as it raises questions about us in nature. In the images, the figures should not appear to live in a concrete "world" - we know that depending on our emotions a landscape will look differently- the surrounding of the figures in the work should be created by the bodies and therefore may not be fixed in the planar space. Even in work where the human body is not explicitly shown, there will always be the suggestion of body forms and there should be a suggestion of a sexual, frenetic, passionate attitude to being human. 

I do not worry if the work turns out to be delicate or extremely detailed; I worry that the images should transmit exuberance. As far as color is concerned, I usually have in mind a palette of “triads”, but I do not rigidly adhere to that rule if the painting demands a change. I tend to be more dictatorial about the texture decisions I plan before starting a piece: I usually use layering and rubbing techniques when using oil, and carving/rubbing when using pastel or graphite on wood. 

There is still a lot to explore in these projects as I start / discard pieces so I am excited to share the progress of my work in this site. 

Raúl Gracia