Barrio Escalante, San José

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Cóncave, by Augusto Nouel. A strictly regulated rhythm of metal slats suspends against a deep black ground a silhouette that oscillates between a classical vessel and human anatomy.

Augusto Nouel

CóncaveSold

Year
2013
Technique
Mixed Media
Dimensions
122 × 75 cm
Status
Sold
Palette
deep black, brass, chrome steel, light copper, lead gray
Brushwork
Modular assembly of polished metal strips and blocks in relief on a paneled support.

Curatorial analysis

A strictly regulated rhythm of metal slats suspends against a deep black ground a silhouette that oscillates between a classical vessel and human anatomy. Arranged horizontally along an axis that divides the vertical panel into two symmetrical hemispheres, the strips alternate between the cold sheen of polished steel and the warmth of brass. Their varying lengths trace a central narrowing that immediately evokes the contour of a waist, a torso, or the concave tension of an amphora.

Light operates here as an active structural material. By curving subtly toward the viewer and detaching from the backplane, each metal strip casts a clean shadow below while fracturing the surrounding environment into specular ribbons. The viewer not only observes the piece but discovers themselves and the ambient space fragmented in a sequence of kinetic reflections that transform with every step. This chromatic alternation between golden and silver hues disrupts the severity of the industrial assembly, introducing an almost musical pulse of cadences and syncopations.

At the top and bottom, modular cubic blocks present a strict counterpoint to the central sinuosity. The two upper prisms, functioning as a geometric crown or head, contrast with the lower row of four volumes, where copper introduces a warm tone to the spectrum of noble metals. Cóncave deftly resolves the apparent paradox between the industrial rigidity of serialized elements and the latent sensuality of organic form, revealing how constructivist precision can evoke the weight, curvature, and breath of a body suspended in the void.

Cóncave

More works by Augusto Nouel

3 works

Sold and historical

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