José Damasceno
Distrito 4, Madrid
Estudios paragráficos is José Damasceno’s (Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 1968) most recent proposal, a combination of prints and installations created specifically for this exhibition with which the Madrid gallery Distrito 4 opens its new season. Although the techniques employed are clearly differentiated, both segments of the show are interrelated to contribute a common meaning to the ensemble of works exhibited. The series of serigraphs on paper bearing the same title as the exhibition describe, by means of coloristic lines, the guidelines that have been followed in the execution of the different works distributed between the two floors that constitute the exhibition space.
The first of these works connects both spaces: Grúa is inscribed within certain symbolism that Damasceno has developed in the images and architectonic elements that are so characteristic of his work The piece originates in the upper level, where a harbor cargo hook lies on the floor and a rope tied to one of its ends runs along the gallery wall and finally connects with a blurred black form suspended in the stairwell.The stairs lead to the ground floor, where the exhibition of prints continues, but the viewers’ attention soon turns towards two new works, Errante and Le Bain Animique, in which the Brazilian artist combines 19th century elements metal and ceramic objects with pieces more characteristic of our time. In this way, Damasceno attempts to induce reflection on different societies and their respective epochs, and the common end that links them, which is none other than to demand that the aesthetic aspect be the priority element in art.
