“The model should only serve the very private function for the painter of providing the starting point for his excitement. The picture is all he feels about it, all he thinks worth preserving of it, all he invests it with.” - Lucien Freud
Contemporary painter, Henry Asencio has become revered for his intuitive, abstract figurative works. “Endeavor” and “Transition” compromise his latest diptych. Aptly titled to reflect the artist’s distilled approach to painting his figures, these two paintings reveal the impulsive nature of the artist.
This spontaneous approach, encouraged by Asencio’s immediate mood and reaction to the moment is what separates his work from other figurative painters.
By simplifying detail in his subjects, less focus is put on defining the figure and more emphasis is on the emotion, color, and texture. Asencio successfully executes the profound effect of sacrificing detail to illicit our imagination. For what is our imagination but the ability to form a mental image of that which is not visible to our eyes but triggered by emotion?
The artist states, “With the freedom of our minds we can experience the reflection of light. That compels a collage of dynamic brushstrokes born of my passionate use of color. Massive amounts of paint create a universe of abstraction, sensuality and pivotal tangents that represent my contemplation of memories and the complexity of life. As it swept through me, a textured mist seemed to resonate a memory of a loved one sought and lost. It was as if I was caught in an undulating web to evoke the essence of this passion with sensuality and vigor.”
Asencio’s work has always been an introspective, spontaneous expression of emotion. He takes the essence of what he feels and translates it to the canvas. And these paintings are a beautiful testament to the artists dedication to the fusion of abstraction and naturalism and the resulting poetic balance.
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