STUDIO ANGEL CORREA

Technique and materials used

​

Mixed media on canvas (black and white printed cotton fabric): Acrylic, vinyl paint, medium, gesso, charcoal powder, water-based ink, permanent-ink marker, and matte varnish.

​

Description of the work

​

I have lovingly worked on this diptych, adding to the texture and pattern of the fabric two columns of colour; red and orange; to bring warm light and contrast to the two black and white silhouettes of the men depicted without feet because, in reality, there is “nowhere to stand” in terms of feeling safe or being protected by their community.

           

The separation of the head from the body in these paintings is part of my style and refers to the lack of connection in between body and mind, thoughts and feelings, personal identity and sexual orientation some men experienced over the course of their lives. When drawing, I imagined ‘Jakob & Misha’ writing anonymous letters sent to each other, expressing their feelings, and saying things such as: “I fell in love with you. I don’t know why. I just did”.

 

I’ve used an elaborate array of brushes and paint-rollers, but also permanent-white ink-marker to define the contours. I love the result of these black and white forms; big blocks of colours and bold lines; the overall effect makes me feel I’m in the middle of something really simple, and easy to read, but robust. This artwork is particularly special to me because it was whilst underway in painting these pieces that I properly understood my subconscious reason to choose this fabric as a complementary element for these works.

           

There is a tradition in my country, especially for women, to wear flowery dresses during funerals – and to go to the cemetery dressed-to-the-nines for burials. The further realisation came to me that my desire to give big blocks of colour to these paintings was based on the fragmentation of the ‘rainbow flag’ and this common thread, so to speak, between the series of works as a whole, allowed me to access a wealth of compositional possibilities. I consider that this partly why my instincts tell me that this is an ideal and bold piece of art for a confident collector.