Your Event Horizon by JuanMiguelPalacios
November14-December8,2024
Your Event Horizon
Installviewof“VariationsCXXIV” (upperfloor)
Your Event Horizon InstalledatAHAUnderground
Variations CXL,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas 48x60”
Variations CXVIII, 2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas 20x24”
Variations CLIII,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas 20x24”
Variations CLVI,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas 30x24”
Variations CXXV,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas
48x36”
Variations CXXIV,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas 72x60”
Variations CXII,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas
20x20”
Variations CXXXIV,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas 20x20”
Variations LXXX,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas
60x48”
Variations XCVIII,2024
Mixedmediaoncanvas
40x30”
Your Event Horizon InstalledatAHAUnderground
Your Event Horizon InstalledatAHAUnderground
Your Event Horizon InstalledatAHAUnderground
JuanMiguelPalacios:TestimonybyKurtMcVey
Humansareacollageoftheirexperiences.Thesecanbuildtoformamultifacetedidentity.TheBrooklyn-basedSpanishpainter,Juan MiguelPalacios,prefersthepaintingtodothetalking.Thisstandsincontrasttothepolemicsthatinfuse,orrather,infusedmuchof AmericanContemporaryArtoverthelastseveralyears.TheAmericanscene,especiallyinNewYorkCity,afterhavingitsfillwith figurationanditsconnectiontorepresentationbothonandoffthecanvas,happilyresultinginamoreplurallandscape,hasmostlysettled intosimply“whatis.”Trendshavealreadymovedintotheelevated,neo-decorativestyle.Theseareshapesandpatternsthatconnect directlyorviaacomplexdiasporatoaculture,ancientbeliefsystemorevolvingnationality,butofteninjectedadlibitumwithaslightly edgybutpalatablepoliticalelement.Thisdoesn'tworkforJuanMigueleither,whomustremaininanalmostmaddeninglypuredialogue, nowofanincreasinglyconceptualsort,caughtsomewherebetweenabluecollabcraftsman,amonk,andatheoreticalphysicist, challengingheretheverynotionsofwhatapaintingcanbe,withoutabandoningitscorefoundations-thepaint,thecanvas,thesubject,etc.
Inhismostrecentbodyofwork,JuanMiguelisdissolvingallboundariesandintheprocess,uncoveringelalma,whichmeans“thesoul” inSpanish.ConsideringthelackofarecognizablehumanforminJuanMiguel’snewseries,ifoneisevokingnotionsofasoulwithouta humanformpresent,onemustengagewithnotionsofanimism.JuanMiguelisofferinguphere,that“painting”asanartformand spiritualpractice(lessapropagandaefforthere,thoughthatcanbevalid)isperhapsthemostpowerfulmeanstoevokethepresenceofa soulinaninanimateobject;notatwo-dimensionalhumanform(acollageofidentifiers)butpaintstrokesandactualpaint“skins,”three dimensionalpaintbodies,acollegeofprimordialacrylichomunculi,whichinJuanMiguel’sarena,castorganicshadowsandluxuriate andexpresstheirmyriadcolors,suggestingrealmovementandpotentenergy-kineticandpotential-inaformerlystaticframe. Therearethreetypesofpaintingsinthisnewbodyofwork.Thefirstisthemosttraditional:JuanMiguelpaintstheseforms-somelithe, someglobularorevenfetal-onthecanvas.
Thesefloatoveranaridoraliendesertfloor.Inotherexamples,Juanpaintswhatlookslikeanuncannysimulationofhisstudio,replete withthepaintsplashesontheconcretefloorandthewhitewalls,bluepainter’stape,tinypaintedscrews,electricaloutletsandother physicalspacesignifiersthatJuanMiguelrendersupwithremarkablephotorealism. He’sshowinghistrainedhand.Thesecondbuildsonthefirst,butJuanmightpaintapaintingontothefaux-wallswithinthepainting.This isasimulationofthestudiovisit;Juanhangshispaintingsonthewallforwritersdealersandcollectorstodiscussbeforetheworklosesits creative,childlikepurity,travelingoutintothecruelworldasaluxuryitem,acommodityorfutureasset.Forthelast,JuanMiguelactually stacksaseparate,physical,stretchedcanvasontoanother,larger,backingcanvas,taking.Trompe-l'œilorevennotionsofthe“readymade” intobothLynchianandKubrickianterritory.
Thereisastatementhere:JuanMiguel,aRomantic;awarriorpoetofpaint,doesn'twanthisworktoleavethestudioincubator,wheretime andspaceandnotionsof“theself”canfoldinandoutandbackintoitselfinaseeminglyendless“Drosteeffect,”butpushedthroughKurt Vonnegut’sirreverentprism,wherepoliticsandmoneyandthedisingenuousdaretotread:“Inthebeginning,Godcreatedtheearth,andhe lookeduponitinHiscosmicloneliness.
AndGodsaid,"LetUsmakelivingcreaturesoutofmud,sothemudcanseewhatWehavedone."AndGodcreatedeverylivingcreature thatnowmoveth,andonewasman.Mudasmanalonecouldspeak.Godleanedclosetomudasmansatup,lookedaround,andspoke.
Manblinked."Whatisthepurposeofallthis?"heaskedpolitely.
"Everythingmusthaveapurpose?"askedGod.
"Certainly,"saidman.
"ThenIleaveittoyoutothinkofoneforallthis,"saidGod. AndHewentaway.”
―
KurtVonnegut,Cat’sCradle
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