RICARDO SANCHEZ MADRID

Madrid is a young artist who has continued to expand the scope of his experimentation in painting. His work includes various techniques -oil , tempera, acrylic, encaustic; recently he has begun to complement his painting with photography-. His work ranges from hyperrealism to abstraction, each piece showing attention to composition, color, texture. In his mastery of these varied techniques, one sees the talent and self-discipline that have combined with the lessons of masters such as Jose Luis Arias and Luis Nishizawa. Madrid’s work is diverse not just because of his tackling novel themes in each new series; he dares to depart from comfortable self-imposed conventional pathways to explore and reflect upon multiple interests, evidence of a mind that is lively, that is unquiet.

In the series Wizard Love, his principally feminine nudes are charged with erotic power. Despite the openly sexual themes, he stamps a spiritual impression onto the erotism with images and symbols --- in Spiritual Lineage; for example, we see the age-old symbol of Ying Yang --- the symbols inviting us to reflect on the harmony of opposites. Madrid’s conception of art as a means of spiritual communication is clear as well in pieces such as “Guerrero Interior” or in the series “Adhimukti”. In “Saint Gilles Croix de Vie”, a series of abstracts in which he shares memories of an excursion, he keeps to a reduced palette (red, black, blue, yellow), the principal element becoming the strong and almost violent textures.

In his most recent series, “Paredes Que Hablan, Muros Que Ven, Objetos Que Sienten”, Madrid paints and photographs fragments of reality showing not only where or what a place or an object is, but also suggesting where or what it was and might become, both for himself and for others. He plays with individual perception and the meaning we build from the most basic reality, from pure and simple space; this he does by using a visual language at once simple and dynamic. He introduces as well iconic elements like the Virgin of Guadalupe; a packing label, or the trademark of a popular cigarette in Mexico, Alitas; he leaps from one place to another --- Oaxaca, Veracruz, Montreal --- a detail taken from each place becoming its own personal memento token remembrance.

With no trace of self-censoring, Madrid paints what he feels, what he sees, and what he imagines. He feeds on the external and interior world, and, leaving aside artistic egotism, concentrates on polishing his illustrative technique. He has also studied as a cultural gestor and curator, thereby enriching his life’s work. He has already put down solid roots for his continued growth. His talent, united with an iron discipline, shows a strong and steady maturation in his work. Madrid is an artist of definite commitment who is poised to make use of every opportunity he might have to grow.

Erandi Avalos

Art Historian and Curator