RED, YELLOW, BLUE
It is not true, that when we close our eyes we do not see anything. There is always this bit of light that enters the eyelids, this tiny piece of skin, of nerve, of vein, that filters the world through its blue or its red. There is also that light at the end of the tunnel that, once our eyes are closed, shows up within the shape of a white circle where our pupils should reflect. Monsters. Moonshine. Beings and experiences which are more imaginary than real, but that can be seen by our eyes anyways.
The same happens with fear: fear is nothing, if one dares to face it. And at the same time, even if we try to close our eyes and ignore it, there will always be that trace of fear that we all carry inside. Fear of dying; fear of taking certain decisions; fear of assuming our very own vulnerability; fear of learning. Even the metaphorical or literal fear of heights: vertigo.
I climb up to the highest point. I close my eyes and open them again. I observe the new collection by Salvador Llinàs (ses Salines, 1985), Vertigen [Vertigo]. And what I see and do not see in each position, looks suspiciously alike: it is the artist’s skill for painting, for portraying what attracts us, and at the same time what we do not dare to watch. Monsters; darkness; the fear of falling; always fear.
With a talent for capturing quintessence and basic colors, and deeply influenced by the fauvist movement and the works of Joan Miró, but with blackness providing a framework and atmosphere, along with an agile and radical streak which connects directly with Oració per la sal (2015), a work by the artist Horacio Sapere (also from Ses Salines), and with the urges of those who need to stop and share, in an act of generosity, what is so difficult to describe —to paint—, Salvador Llinàs now presents Vertigen. A series of works that exist between limits and the deepest levels of subjectivity; between what scares and at the same time fascinates us. A jump into the void; red, yellow and blue act as a net. It just feels better to let us fall.
Sebastià Portell
May 2022