ONLY TIME

As we didn´t have class last Wednesday,  I took the afternoon to see the painting exhibition at the sugar old factory “El Pilar” and I have to say that I liked both the place and the paintings very much.

First, I will say that the place seemed to me very interesting. In my opinion, its high ceiling and large walls create a suitable space for exhibitions. In addition, the mixture  of so different materials and elements such as the original wooden ceiling,  the iron coloumns and the wood and glass for the stairs, is an unconvencional way of transforming an old warehouse  into an open and  functional modern space.

Second, the collection of paintings on display was large and many of the works were really beautiful. So, it was no easy to say which one I liked most but if I had to choose one I think I would take the following one.

Why have I  chosen it? Well, I will make a little comment next.

From my modest knowledge of art  this  painting is a figurative oil on canvas.

At first glance it caught  my attention the harmonious colours and the balanced composition. I also liked the way the painter gets a beautiful image from something that it is only waste. Placed in the centre of the painting and standing out from the rest  there is a rubbish container full of old and useless watches.  But what makes the painting more attractive for me  is the large amount of  well-painted watches  and clocks which are in plastic bags and cardboard boxes,  even on the floor, around the container. There are table clocks, wall clocks and small pieces of them everywhere. All these elements seem to be stored and abandoned  in a kind of old factory. Looking at  the picture more attentively you can appreciate the details of the so many different  types of clocks. The painter makes a tremendous technique display when he skilfully mixes  the colours, light and shadow to paint  different textures such as plastic, cardboard, glass, silver metal, golden metal , wood and cloth. Despite the brush-stroke direction is not perceived, all the objects are well defined till the point they look real. All in the picture remind us that  time goes by not only for  the  broken clocks, in other time new and useful, but for ourselves. This idea is stressed by the phrase “only time” written on the container. With these words the artist plays with an association of ideas  to tell us ironically that time can not be recycled or kept in a  plastic bag.