If you put one color shape against another color shape, you´re making an illusion.

Philip Guston

 

     Dear Fran,

     I have submitted a painting to the Alcalá Landscape Contest (Alcalá de los Panaderos they called it) and most likely it will not pass the first screening. I'll tell you why.

     The image is the vision that I wanted to paint of the section of the Odiel river as it passes through Gibraleón, but, deliberately, on the plane of the canvas there is only one layer of color in each of the parts of the work. This is generally not well seen by the more orthodox masters of painting — the jury.

     The illusion that Philip Guston talks about is achieved by superimposing layer after layer of colors on the canvas and I — I don't know if I'm making a mistake or not — have not followed that rule. Have I risked presenting my 'Río Odiel IV' in a way that we could call superficial?

     The answer in a week.

     Y. a.

     Mary