2014 - The Burden of Evidence

In Paloma Marquez's work, the anecdote, the narrative of situations featuring groups of people and, to a lesser extent, individuals, is resolved through highly schematic, serialized images, impossible to perceive in their singularity.

This primary, stripped-down, black-and-white human figure is what ultimately amplifies the message. If these clusters of figures were rendered more realistically, they might transform the work into something excessively baroque.

The counterpoint created by representing a complex situation with simple images, the variegated sum of small figures that generate volumes, creates a work that is read from the general to the specific.

Large spheres or rings are perceived as geometric works, almost minimalist forms. On closer inspection, we can see that they are composed of countless tiny beings. This grayness, perceived from a distance, becomes a human conglomeration, and discovering this leads to a reinterpretation of the work. This back-and-forth is one of its most compelling aspects.

In recent works, one or more suitcases appear as protagonists. Their format is antique, and their representation is colorful and highly realistic. These suitcases engage in a dialogue with the schematic figures of the previous work.

The human figures maintain their small scale, bearing no logical size relationship to the suitcases. Their interaction creates situations ranging from the dramatic to the ironic.

The incorporation of an element treated with a different visual language generates a tension that modifies the approach of the previous works and adds a new layer of interest. It is important to appreciate the change and the risks that this approach entails.

I find it interesting to highlight the importance that Paloma gives to titles, not with the intention of explaining the work, but as a sum of languages.

Ernesto Pesce, artist