“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.”
There is something mysterious in gateways and portals. Ancient cultures already perceived their potential and tried to master the energy these places generate.
I do not pretend to understand what happens in these transitory areas, I just confirm that they are loaded with refractions. They force dialogues and catalyse discovery.
Velázquez was a master on this matter in almost every painting he created. For me, the two little paintings of the gate of Villa Medici (here and here) show in a really direct way how gates and their interstitial areas generate fugues and metaphorical journeys that go much beyond the canvas itself.
There are no narrative excuses. No detailed technique. They depict light, air and a door. On one side these images represent the ephemeral nature of the experience. On the other, they help perception by opening and closing doors.
I find the constant dialogue between open and close, in and out, humidity, air pressure, light, draughts, textures, volumes and perspectives the keys to my understanding.
0