José María Sicilia (1954), Untitled XI Rouge ,... Lot 40

José María Sicilia (1954), Untitled XI Rouge , 2002, mixed technique on wax, monogrammed, dated and located Sóller on reverse, 178x118.5 cmProvenance: Galerie Art & Public, Geneva, ref. 7102, 01.12.2004Label on reverse from Galerie Art & Public Sicilia Combining wax and pigments at different points in the wax solidification process, the artist creates a material that is both translucent and mysterious. The mixing of pigments with wax, which takes place in different layers, transforms the painting into a three-dimensional work. Although the production process is directed by the artist, the final result is very much a matter of chance. Indeed, the wax is subject to constraints of time, heat, humidity and so on. The central element of his thinking is the metamorphosis of the material during the creative process, until a fully-fledged work of art is obtained. In this way, the work is the result of cooperation between the bees, the environment and the artist. Bees," notes Sicilia, "are both luminous and obscure. They work in the incandescent darkness of the hive. The wax they make is a bit of this coagulated light; the colors are suspended in it."