Detail of “I’m Only Happy When It Rains” (2023), oil on canvas, 78.75 x 78.75 inches. All images © Antonio Santín, courtesy of Marc Straus, shared with permission
Akin to the way textile weavers rely on intricate looms to support warps and wefts, Antonio Santín (previously) employs another kind of machine. Precisely calibrated for the various densities of different oil pigments, a pneumatic compressor allows the artist to carefully control the speed and volume of paint onto the canvas, creating a rhythmic, textured, hyperrealistic depiction of ornamental rugs.
Santín begins each work by studying real carpets, documenting how they react when bunched, curled, or folded. Building up the medium in hundreds of thousands of dots and dashes, he transforms flat surfaces into sculptural reliefs, toying with light and shadow in the interplay between two- and three-dimensionality.
If you’re in New York, stop by Santín’s solo exhibition at Marc Straus through March 3. His work is also part of a group exhibition on view through September 20 at Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai. Find more on the artist’s Instagram.
“Supernova” (2023), oil on canvas, 63 x 86.5 inches
Detail of “Supernova”
“Echo Chamber” (2023), oil on canvas, 63 x 86.6 inches
Detail of “Poligamia” (2023), oil on canvas, 63 x 86.6 inches
“Poligamia” (2023), oil on canvas, 63 x 86.6 inches
“I’m Only Happy When It Rains” (2023), oil on canvas, 78.75 x 78.75 inches
Installation view at Marc Straus
“Bonanza” (2022), oil on canvas, 78.75 x 78.75 inches
Detail of “Echo Chamber”
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Source: thisiscolossal.com