one
Bruno Pacheco
one, 2020
The work of Bruno Pacheco (b. 1974, Estoril, Portugal) is characterized by a specific ambiguity towards the field of representation. Despite its mostly figurative nature, his paintings and drawings disclose an anonymity characteristic to its subjects, may these be human figures or random objects.
With the cowboy hat as the central motive of the painting, Pacheco examines the possibilities of indirect narrativity, through the use of variation and association with other objects, lived situations or (art)historical references. Its composition, movement, and depiction on the canvas might call for a wide range of associations. Reminiscent of a UFO, one, 2020, addresses the subject of commercial availability and industrial production, bridging the work with the post-industrial age and with aspects of commercial symbolism tied to American culture. The distinctive treatment of the painting regarding its color, vivid brushstroke and the sense of monumentality of the depicted, and otherwise ordinary object of consumption, suggests a variety of movement and meaning of a static article, while simultaneously questioning the inherent characteristics of painting and still life.