Alejandro Decinti is a Chilean painter whose work I’m undecided about, but still want to post. His paintings from a few years ago display a similar approach and tonality as the work of Antonio Lopez Garcia, as can be seen in works like this one:
Then his paintings show an increased interest in paint for paint’s sake. The still life below of materials seems to play with the tension between materials and representation, with the blue of the bucket merging into the flat blue wall, thereby flattening the image. This sort of thing is reminiscent of Manet’s work, and a tribute to the Bar at the Folies-Bergere shows Decinti’s interest in him.
Thereafter his work becomes more involved with its own material qualities, with abstract marks breaking contours. His compositions have also become increasingly unsettling and often creepy.
Love his early work. Undecided about his later stuff. Opinions? Check out his website and see what you think.
The Hidden Place 
I agree with the Lopez Garcia reference although I think that there is something exquisite about the whiteness of Garcia, and the way in which the colours are held in check. My English sensibility see the blue still life as a bit to saturated.
I’m less keen on the imaginary sleeping painting, although I do like paintings which hint at their making
Comment by Phil Tyler — October 11, 2009 @ 4:56 pm |
I’ve had a chance to look at the history of these painting now. I think the still life you’ve picked out is the best, although there are a few of the later portraits that are really interesting. However I sometime feel that the spalshy stuff is a bit mannered and superfluous to the image.
Comment by Phil Tyler — October 11, 2009 @ 8:47 pm |
If Phils directed “spalshy stuff” to the two realist paintings above as mannered and superfluous then I would agree. I feel the same way with a modern master paintings as I do with an modern mastered etch-a-sketch work. As impressive as it is at eye witness, I would call it a finely crafted image and move on.
Comment by vdego — October 15, 2009 @ 2:35 am |
It was a typo, I meant splashy!
Comment by Phil Tyler — October 24, 2009 @ 10:36 am |
I love the later paintings. I’m not interested in the earlier ones. They are fine paintings, but the later pieces leave room for me to investigate further and ask questions of.
Comment by hiddenamongroots — October 25, 2009 @ 9:25 pm |
I agree with ‘paint for paint’s sake’…A free minded can be the limitless…Mind catching treatment with the later paintings…
Comment by Ajith — January 23, 2010 @ 7:44 am |
I find his later work of nude paintings, especially those of children, and other depictions of children in ways that seem erotic, such as sleeping, bare chested etc, very disturbing! Other, later portraits where he mixes abstract brush strokes are not very appealing, to me. The emphasis on active hands in those paintings (of adults), as opposed to the previous paintings of naked or half naked children with placid, passive hand positions makes it even creepier, the association is that of a pedophile who can’t resist touching. Artistically, the composition is boring, with center-focus, and use of abstract line is quite banal and ineffective, seeming more like an unfinished work rather than an actual statement.
His older work is indeed much more interesting, in terms of both composition and rendition.
Comment by Iris — May 7, 2010 @ 7:43 pm |