Provenance: Private Collection, USA

ABOUT THE WORK

In Search of a Simple Life — In this ruggedly ethereal picture of a rural family, the lyrical power of Tabuena’s work is achieved through a developing understanding of the complexities of art and social context. Many of his paintings suggest a newfound freedom and even a sense of joy, while retaining many aspects of the evanescent spirit that gives his art its softly expressive power. To achieve the ‘interior expression’ he sought, and to do so through ‘pure form”, Tabuena shattered his original image into a shifting mosaic of harshly contoured abstract fragments, of softly undeniably powerful effect. The result was a delicate yet rich color scheme. The experimental, tentative quality of some of his early works gave way to increasing sureness.