Barrio Escalante, San José

Visits by appointment only

Abstracto 1, by Karen Clachar. A sedimentary and organic mass dominates the vertical plane, rising from the earthy ground like an entity undergoing a process of fossilization.

Karen Clachar

Abstracto 1

Year
2005
Technique
Mixed Media
Dimensions
46 × 57 cm
Status
Available
Palette
dark brown, burnt sienna, golden ochre, bone, rust
Brushwork
Stratification of glazes, textile weave imprints, and dense textural sedimentations.

Curatorial analysis

A sedimentary and organic mass dominates the vertical plane, rising from the earthy ground like an entity undergoing a process of fossilization. Geological forces seem to operate across this surface: glazes of rust, burnt ochres, and dark soils overlap to build a tactile architecture in which matter appears to have matured over time. The main volume ascends along a fractured diagonal, culminating in a blackened node that immediately evokes the memory of a hunched torso, a cocoon, or a chrysalis suspended in dense amber.

The fabric weave assumes a defining presence here. Through the imprinting or incorporation of mesh and gauze, a network of reticular lines forms striations across the skin of the painting. This geometric, nearly microscopic filigree contrasts sharply with the free-flowing drippings of dark pigments and the amorphous stains that surround it. In the lower right corner, a nodular protrusion, akin to an effigy or a primitive skull, serves as a silent counterweight to the grand central curve, deepening the enigma of the scene.

Light does not illuminate from an external source; instead, it emerges from a deliberate erosion of the ground. Toward the upper left, off-whites act as an expanse of limestone and mist, pushing the shadows back so that the corporeal mass achieves relief. That tension between what emerges and what remains trapped in the mud sustains the gaze: the painting presents an archaeology of form, where each pictorial layer preserves a biological trace that refuses to dissolve entirely.

Abstracto 1

More works by Karen Clachar

9 works

Available works

Similar works

By subject, palette and style

Message the gallery on WhatsApp

Cookies

We use cookies to learn how the site is used and to show the gallery's ads on other platforms. They are only turned on if you accept them.