Barrio Escalante, San José

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Con Vos, by Leda Astorga. The stony heaviness of concrete yields to an immediate intimacy.
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Leda Astorga

Con VosInquire about availability

Year
2018
Technique
Oil-Painted Concrete
Dimensions
27 × 30 × 18 cm
Status
Inquire about availability
Palette
earth brown, mustard yellow, turquoise green, lavender white, carbon black
Brushwork
Bold modeling of rough mass with oil glazes applied over the grain of the concrete.

Curatorial analysis

The stony heaviness of concrete yields to an immediate intimacy. In this free-standing sculpture, the material's density coexists with an almost domestic warmth: an ample-bodied woman with an absorbed gaze rests while two small white cats sleep, one nestled in the lap of her clasped hands and the other curled atop the bridge of her bare feet. The physical weight of the block is thus transformed into an emotional anchor, where the gravity of matter supports the fragility of animal slumber.

The structure relies on a descending diagonal travelling from the poised tilt of the head down to the tip of the extended feet. This line, however, is deliberately broken by the rotundity of curved volumes in the torso, thighs, and solid limbs. A bold chromatic counterpoint emerges between the earthy richness of the skin, treated with deep coppery undertones, and the festive vivacity of the mustard-yellow top and turquoise polka-dot skirt. The oil paint does not conceal the rough porosity of the cement; on the contrary, raking light highlights surface irregularities, lending the skin a tactile vibration that belies the coldness commonly associated with an industrial medium.

The title suggests a quiet pact of companionship. The protagonist does not interact directly with the viewer; her attention seems suspended in an interior realm, detached from outside bustle, while her body serves as a safe haven for the felines. There is a celebration of daily rest and the uninhibited claim of space, where the opulence of bodily forms avoids conventional idealizations, offering instead a commanding physical presence rooted in the joy of repose and shared tenderness.

Con Vos

More works by Leda Astorga

15 works

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View all 15 works by Leda Astorga

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