The works of Calo Carratala and Ramon Enrich convey two different affinities with space, and very different views to depict the world. Artistics represents these two Spanish painters and we invite you to discover their unique outlooks.
The De Pictura (1435) by Leon Battista Alberti, was a treatise on art theorizing linear perspective. It caused a pictorial upheaval at the time. It has conditioned European art right up to the present day. This treatise from the Renaissance marks man’s awareness of space in art. A veritable universal motor of evolution, it sets out principles of space (distance, dimension and proportion) and how to use the rules of composition, representation, light and colour which has had a profound influence on the history of art.
In the 20th century a desire to represent the world in a different way brought about a liberation toward linear perspective especially in abstract painting. Nowadays many different points of view prevail. Figurative and abstract painting live side by side and treat the depiction of space as a key question and as an endless possibility to prove its relationship with the world. The work of these two Spanish contemporary artists, represented by Artistics, perfectly illustrates the multiform aspect of this relationship with space in art.
Calo Carratala: a linear perspective for a realistic rapport with space
Contemporary Spanish artist Calo Carratala is passionate about travel and likes to paint the landscapes he finds on his travels which move him the most. His series of figurative painting pay homage to the wonderful landscapes of Amazonia, Tanzania and Norway. According to him Landscape is a world to be protected and no longer to be discovered – somewhat paradoxical given the powerful array of natural panoramas he depicts – majestic summits or exuberant tropical forests.
Big Benasque I, Calo Carratala, Oil on canvas, 156 x 214 cm, 2017
This contemporary Spanish painter presents these landscapes in linear perspective. He paints from a very human viewpoint which gives his paintings an essentially paradoxical nature as he reduces man to a position of weakness, one of mere contemplation, all the while conceding the strength of this viewpoint. The painting of Calo Carratala carries a warning: man is capable of understanding the exceptional character of nature so he should do his best to protect it.
Ramon Enrich: tame the space you’re representing
Far beyond the representation of the space itself, this contemporary Spanish artist depicts a space that is built up and boasting a total lack of human presence. This is how Ramon Enrich‘s viewpoint attempts to break free from a linear perspective; precisely because he refuses all incarnation in the space.
RUV, Ramon Enrich, Acrylic on canvas, 130 x 170 cm, 2014-2016
However, the grid, unseen in the works of Calo Carratala, is very visible in several of Ramon Enrich’s works. This element fulfills the same function for both painters with very different meaning. Calo Carratala uses this instrument to precisely reproduce reality in all its proportions, Ramon Enrich uses it to rationalize the space, confident that he has an obvious proficiency, which contributes to a somewhat ironic effect.
