“Figura en violeta”

Luis Seoane

From simplification to abstraction

In his artistic career and his path to schematism, Luis Seoane comes close to abstraction. In a process of simplification and purification of elements such as shape, colour and drawing, he resorts to geometry and creates compositions based on flat colours; marks of colour that work autonomously and independently from the lines, which continue to appear as black strokes.

This independent use of colour and line in a certain way derives from his previous work in engraving, and he uses them similarly both in his graphic and his plastic work.

In “Figura en violeta” [Figure in violet] we see the use of this refined language thanks to the screen printing technique. This technique allows the artist to work with a cleaner finish of colours, which are completely flat.

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  Figura en violeta, 1970

  Figure in violet
  Luis Seoane
  Serigraphy
  Ed. 9/50
  37 x 55 cm

  Ralli Collection

Beyond the form

In this image we also see a double game, a double image, like a nod to the duality of its language. On the one hand, the shape formed by patches of colour presents a figure seen from the front, with what appears to be a hat or fruit bowl on the head. In addition, inside the face of this figure we can appreciate the profiles of two figures, one male and one female, who are about to kiss. The frontal figure is represented from the bust upwards, based on geometric shapes and patches of violet and white, combined with some black lines and on a pinkish background. We can only see the shape of the profiles of these latter two faces, created from a thin black line, without using patches or any other colour. The figurative aspect of the artist, which is always present, is clearly captured here without ever losing sight of the motive, even in his most abstract works.