press release #2

Cape Fear / Dark Seascapes

In this series of pictures, C.B.Aragão develops a body of work that relates directly to the essence of what is the sea. In other words, a great mass of volume, in which movement is suggested by the representation of waves that are moving towards the viewer.

Aragão employs the Dutch Baroque cannon of landscape painting commonly used by authors such as Willem van de Velde (1633-1707) or any other master of this genre, in which the artist divides the pictorial image into three parts, one third represents the sea and the other two thirds the sky; however, Aragão removes the hoisted white sails of the vessels, the smoke of the firing of the cannons or the birds that fly through the deep blue sky thus generating a contemplative and quiet work in the era of digital technology.

The waves move very slowly and the nocturne sky is terrifying because of the intense black employed. A profound and sublime nocturnal seascape is suggested, as in the photographs of Gustave le Gray (1820-1884) who was also interested in the image of the sea and experimented with its representation. In a certain way, these images are ambiguous – at once both calm and ominous.

Lourenço Egreja

Lisbon, April of 2011