Susana Murias has continued to explore the very essence of what reminiscing means…With a keen and unusual sensibility, she brings forth the smallest of memories and captures them on paper or canvas…She is a collector of memories…an indefatigable explorer of the faint landscapes of the mind. She pieces together the most delicate of details found in the dusty corners of a mind in constant siege by modern technology…Her memories are those brought about by the scent of  lovingly stored baby clothes, the interior views of modest houses,  children’s chalk drawings on a concrete playground…Quiet, discreet, minimalist recollections of a modern city dweller with a nostalgic mood that permeates every line, every shape…

http://www.arthaus66.com/online-art-gallery/susana-murias/

It’s a bit early in the season in these parts, but Spring came shipped by air from a very far away place… A Mechanical Rose emerged from a bundle sent by Javier Albar…A gorgeous, intricate new piece that speaks of his own development as an artist…

There are other images included in this group that merit mention as well…All are masterfully crafted and uniquely Albar…The style and sure hand of this master printer inequivocally shows in his artwork…

Enjoy and do consider that only a few (sometimes as few as 4) of each one are printed…His editions are often quite small and sought after…

http://www.arthaus66.com/online-art-gallery/javier-albar/

On Thursday, January 21st those lucky enough to be in Madrid will have the chance to visit Brita Prinz Gallery to view some of Juan Pablo Villalpando’s newest work.

What a pleasant experience it is to rest your eyes on these drawings, composed with exceptional honesty and simplicity. The lines are concise and the colors few, well chosen…Houses, short and clear…Legs, static and strangely furry…Man or animal?

The images prompt many associations and leave no mind-stone unturned. Follow them where they may take you…

http://www.arthaus66.com/online-art-gallery/juan-pablo-villalpando/

I find this bit of news amusing in a funny and quirky way…A doctor in Italy by the name of Vito Franco from the University of Palermo, has completed a study that attempts to decipher the enigma behind Mona Lisa’s smile. 
Apparently, the results of his investigations published yesterday in the Daily Telegraph point to an excess of cholesterol that, in Dr. Franco’s opinion, was causing the enigmatic smirk. He interprets the overall puffy appearance of her skin as well as the perceived presence of fatty deposists under her left eye as proof of a health problem very possibly resulting from diet and other lifestyle factors.  

Dr. Franco does not stop there and goes on to produce a number of similarly far fetched diagnosis…Such is the case with Sandro Boticelli’s Portrait of a Young Man. In his opinion, the model in the painting was suffering from Marfan’s syndrome and that his elongated fingers are the result of this genetic disorder.

 The only very obvious and certifiable fact that derives from Dr. Franco’s studies is that he has more time in his hands that he knows what to do with…This is a rather pointless and banal study that will do little for those who STILL suffer from the maladies he mentions in his article.

Who hasn’t had dreams of visiting far away lands? Getting to experience new sights and cultures enrich the life of the traveler and, in the case of an artist, no doubt develop into deeper, more cosmopolitan, more interesting work.

Javier Albar stopped dreaming and started moving a long time ago and has not stopped since. He has visited, in one capacity or another, many diverse countries all around the world.

Everyone knows that an image is worth a thousand words and no description, no matter how clever or detailed, could match the beauty of the many snapshots he collects during his travels…