RAUL CRUZ - Sem Título
Medium: Lino print | Dimensions: 23,5 x 10 cm | Year: 1991

 

ARTWORK FORMAL DESCRIPTION

Representation of a man that has half of his body hidden by a wall (or a door); one of his hands, with pointed fingers, is in evidence as it touches the black wall; in the background, there is a kind of checkered ceiling.

 

THE ARTWORK
This work is part of the Raul Cruz/ Lino prints album, made by the artist in 1991. The facial expression denotes negative feelings - anxiety, concern, annoyance. In any case, it does not show any sign of satisfaction or joy to what he observes, which is probably not the viewer - his gaze directs to the right. Does this mean that he is not seeing what or who is in front of him? Does it mean that perhaps he is immersed in thoughts about what he has seen? Or how does he feel about the gaze he receives from the one observing him? The image inspires countless speculations, like a guessing game - the spectator is invited to participate in the scene to unravel this mystery.

 

FOR REFLECTION

"Throughout human history, humankind has been building an image of itself, being able to represent its figure in many ways and through various mechanisms, be they magical or scientific. The first representations of humans by themselves, as far as we know, refer to the origin of art itself on wall paintings, in the Upper Paleolithic, around 40000 to 10000 B.C. They resemble projected shadows, materialized on the walls of history, and show the ways that humans presented themselves to the world in the early days of humanity. [...] We conclude that, by building a human figure, we can project ourselves onto the molded object, and therefore recognize ourselves in what we produce, we get in touch with ourselves and also with the other. [...] Empty spaces are occupied, forms, dreams, fantasies are organized in representations of life itself, the human body itself in its various representations [...]. In this universe, we invent and mean ourselves by generating knowledge according to the needs and/or interests of each historical period". (ROSSETTO, 2013, p. 2-3). The feelings that Raul's figure evokes allow the observer to reflect on theirs, especially in this moment of social isolation, as many people cope with loneliness and the loss of loved ones. Moreover, it allows the observer to reflect on the current context and the living conditions imposed by the pandemic; it provokes us to reflect on the limits enforced and on the prospects for the future.

 

TECHNIQUE – LINO PRINT

Lino print is a printmaking technique similar to woodcut, but instead of wood, the matrix is linoleum. Linoleum is a material made from a combination of linseed oil, wood sawdust, cork, natural resins, and pigments, whose invention was patented in England in 1860 by Frederick Walton, indicated for flooring. This material was also widely used by European artists of the late 19th and 20th centuries to produce prints. One of the modern artists who employed this technique was Picasso. As in woodcutting, the drawing carved on lino receives the ink that will set in the embossed parts and will be transferred to the paper when pressed, preferably with the help of a press. One advantage of linoleum over wood is that it is softer and easier to carve.