the work of Richard Serra for their heaviness and minimal aspects.  But the oblique reference dissipates when you consider the sensuality of the materials.  The paint is thick and mostly dense though it can also appear surprisingly transparent. The lines defining the forms swirl and flow with a seeming pride for having been hand-painted.  The color is reduced to a few pigments (as already noted) with a predilection for blacks and whites and a primary goal of establishing mood for each piece.

Joan Hernandez Pijuan, Galeria Ramis Barquet

Hernandez Pijuan, a Spanish artist who passed away in 2005, referred to these paintings as his particular ‘way of seeing’ in a poem he wrote about his work.  This offers a fitting entry point for delving into his meaning.  These paintings pit opposing conditions in a number of ways through the various pieces and the resulting clashes determine their content.  On one hand there is the overall bleakness of the color and theforms which provide a somber context.  On the other

Joan Hernandez Pijuan, Galeria Ramis Barquet

there is the overpowering sensuality as presented in the paint handling. But the two combined, whether in conflict or agreement, become all the stronger for the experience.

Joan Hernandez Pijuan, Galeria Ramis Barquet