Second Revision:
The large paintings of Justin Caguiat’s Carnival sweep the viewer into a sea of colorful circular motifs, vague human figures, and translucent rectangles painted in oil and gouache on unstretched linen. These pieces present imagery that is both unapologetically decorative and rich in references to a range of international art-historical topics. The work prompts questions about what can be decoded as a subject or pattern, and whether these conclusions are essential in the process of looking.
Stretching from practically floor to ceiling is Caguiat’s Daisyworld: a gridlike composition of seemingly abstract forms in primarily green and orange, ornamented with multicolored shapes. Looking closely, one may identify imagery in the forms, such as human bodies or window panes. Daisyworld’s play between abstraction and representation invites the viewer to stop and engage fully. Not only to interpret the shapes, symbols, and figures in the work, but to delight in the sensory experience of looking at the manipulation of paint.
The works in Carnival represent a delicate balance between the figuratively legible and the conceptually opaque. The viewer sees forms and bodies that they may project meaning onto, but without the context that would allow one to assign a precise definition to any element. It is like putting together a puzzle in which the pieces form no clear picture, but elicit a profound and gratifying visual experience nonetheless.
Revision:
The large paintings of Justin Caguiat’s Carnival sweep the viewer into a sea of colorful circular motifs, vague human figures, and translucent layered rectangles painted in oil and gouache on unstretched linen. These pieces present imagery that is both unapologetically decorative and rich in references to a vast range of international art-historical topics. The work poses questions about what can be decoded as a subject or a pattern, and whether these conclusions are essential in the process of looking.
Caguiat’s Daisyworld is a gridlike composition of seemingly abstract forms in primarily green and orange, ornamented with small multicolored shapes. Over time, one may pick out recognizable imagery in the forms, such as human bodies or window panes. Daisyworld’s play between abstraction and representation invites the viewer to stop and look closely. Not only to interpret the shapes, symbols, and figures in the work, but to delight in the sensory experience of looking at the manipulation of paint.
The works in Carnival represent a delicate balance between the figuratively legible and the conceptually opaque. The viewer sees forms and bodies that they may project meaning onto, but without the context that would allow one to assign a precise definition to any element. It is like putting together a puzzle in which the pieces form no clear picture, but elicit a profound and gratifying visual experience nonetheless.
Original:
The large paintings of Justin Caguiat’s Carnival instantly sweep the viewer into a sea of color, texture, and pattern painted in oil and gouache on unstretched linen. These boldly colored works present imagery that is both unapologetically decorative and rich in concept, stemming from a vast range of international art-historical reference material. They pose questions about what can be identified as a subject or a pattern, and whether these conclusions are essential in the process of looking.
Caguiat’s Daisyworld presents a gridlike composition of seemingly abstract forms in primarily green and orange, ornamented with small multicolored shapes. With time, one may pick out recognizable imagery from the forms, such as figures or window panes. Daisyworld’s play between abstraction and representation invites the viewer to stop and look closely. Not only to decode the shapes, symbols, and figures in the work, but to delight in the sensory experience of looking at the manipulation of paint.
The works in Carnival represent a delicate balance between the interpretable and the conceptually opaque. The viewer sees forms and bodies that they may project meaning onto, but without the context that would allow one to assign a precise definition to any element or entire work. It is like putting together a puzzle in which the pieces form no clear picture, but elicit a profound and gratifying visual experience nonetheless.
The experience of paintings such as those from Caguiat's exhibition are incredibly subjective, yet as you described the form, shape, color and medium, I was drawn back to when I first witnessed them. One detail I may have pushed further, is the way he utilized the overlapping of color in such a strategic manor. This was one of the most memorable and impressive aspects of the work for me.
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