Juan Uslé: En la pared del mar

An exhibition of new paintings by Juan Uslé. It follows the artist’s major solo exhibition at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid.

Highly mindful of tonality, Juan Uslé explores colour but strives not for intense chromatic effect, rather the gradations at times echo the Spanish countryside where he grew up. The vibrations of certain light and shade are also constant elements, creating a momentary resonance, like sunlight falling through venetian blinds or a distant horizon. The paintings on show have been made in response to Spain’s northern coast and the title En la pared del mar translates as On the sea wall.

Uslé’s nuanced works evoke intriguing atmospheres or environments. His paintings have no narrative impulse, instead they are an attempt to capture time – moments past and present are condensed within a single luminous image created from swathes or narrow bands of oil paint. The canvases in this exhibition, which range from the intimate to the very large, have evolved in different ways, each emerging with a very distinct character.