New Paintings by Antonio Santin

Santin echoes the breadth of Spanish Golden Age painting, especially the chiaroscuro found in El Greco’s, Luis de Morales’s and Velázquez’s work.

There are two connected themes in this new body of paintings: women in lavish settings and highly stylized Eastern rugs. These paintings evolve from striking pictorial motifs. Initially they seem photo-realistic but closer inspection reveals they are lush and highly painterly. Certain passages venture into abstraction, in a manner similar to Chuck Close’s portraits.

Up close, Antonio Santin’s surfaces are a stunning highly sculptured layering of oil and acrylic paint. Threads of color stream across, giving breath to the floating figure. Soft facial features and unblemished complexions are reminiscent of 15th century sfumato. Moreover, Santin echoes the breadth of Spanish Golden Age painting, especially the chiaroscuro found in El Greco’s, Luis de Morales’s and Velázquez’s work. Santin’s paintings are immediately contemporary and yet draw heavily from historical sources.

Unfolding in his works are pertinent issues about beauty and domesticity, about empathy and distancing. In his rugs, Santin weaves together marvelous Oriental designs, hinting at early Muslim and Mozarab arabesques found in medieval southern Spain. This important Islamic lineage in Spanish culture is evident in the grainy textural fabrics.

Opening reception on Sunday, September 8, from 6 pm to 8 pm. Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday, from 11 am to 6 pm; Monday and Tuesday by appointment.