Jordi Alcaraz
THE FOOTPRINT OF TIME
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEAN MARIE DEL MORAL WWW.JEANMARIEDELMORAL.COM WORDS BY CARLOS ÁLVAREZ AND MANUEL NAVARRO WITH THE COLLABORATION OF GALERIA MAYORAL BARCELONA WWW.GALERIAMAYORAL.COM ARTWORK ABEURADORS PER A DIBUIXOS 2023 DIBUIXAR DE NIT (I) 2023 LA NIT I EL DIA (I) 2023 PARTITURA 2015 PARLAR SOL 2017 STARRING JORDI ALCARAZ CALELLA BARCELONA
We immerse ourselves in the fascinating world of Jordi Alcaraz, with whom we spent an intriguing afternoon in his studio, filled with paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Navigating among them was a delicate task. The studio is a true reflection of the artist’s soul and his work. Just as it is. A marvelous ordered chaos where past, present, and future blend seamlessly. His studio is located in the old family workshop, guarding some old industrial machinery from the era. The frenetic activity of works in progress interacts with others that are finished, awaiting to be exhibited in the near future, soon to become the past once more. A challenging task, representing time.
Alcaraz’s work is a cocktail of intertwining techniques. He confesses to enjoying all the processes his pieces go through, developing new techniques, taming the creative process from start to finish. A wonderful body of work that captivates with its simplicity, merging the delicate with the abrupt, elements that transport us to an indescribable time, where the paths between sculpture, engraving, or painting intertwine in search of poetry.
In his latest works, Alcaraz invites us to explore the purest essence of one of the concepts he has worked on throughout his career, ‘time,’ eternal and ephemeral at the same time. A silent witness to our lives and dreams. The title chosen for his latest solo exhibition is the element that best defines his latest creations, both for its simplicity and its magnitude, making it a powerful representation of time. ‘GNOMON,’ that modest ‘stick’ projecting a shadow, a fundamental element in indicating the time on a sundial.
This apparent simplicity requires and brings together a great cosmic complexity to give meaning to the concept of time. In his work, the Gnomon becomes a symbol that bridges the past and present, tradition and innovation, aiming to convey the vastness encompassed by the simplicity of things, prompting us to reflect on time and how it impacts our lives, reminding us that the essential always remains unaltered. A brutal artistic metaphor.
