Provenance: Provenance: Galerie Theo, Madrid, Spain

ABOUT THE WORK

Transnational artist Fernando Zobel’s oeuvre is characterized by a visual progression resulting from stylistic evolutions out of the mastery and control of materials and techniques as well as creative and intellectual pursuits throughout his artistic career. A witness of major art movements that were occurring in the country, the U.S., and in Spain, Zobel contributed immensely to Philippine abstraction with his signature distillation or “paring down” creative process. This process of removing distractions to produce subdued, minimal and contemplative masterpieces was influenced by the Spanish modern art movement. Toward the seventies and eighties, nature became the main axis of Zobel’s series of works. Drawn and influenced by his environment, the charming landscapes and waters in Cuenca became his subjects in numerous paintings, drawings, and photographs. Series such as the “El Júcar,” “La Vista,” and “Las Orillas” were born in these periods—all based on Cuenca that became his muse. This particular work is part of his Orillas series in which he took upon the theme of the river and translated nature’s beauty into pure abstraction. Orilla 58 exhibits a sense of order and simplicity out of Zobel’s intellectual elaborations of his memories in Cuenca, specifically his encounters with the river’s continuous flow and alluring beauty. At work is his attention to a sense of balance and harmony, achieving both ethereal and contemplative visual qualities.