Saturday, August 29, 2015

River’s Reflection



River’s Reflection

An anlysis of “El Castillo en Reflejos, Catalonia, Spain”, by Jose Vives-Atsara

By: Gabriel Diego Delgado

“El Castillo en Reflejos, Catalonia, Spain”, by Jose Vives-Atsara is a prime example of a painting that makes you hesitate, to stop in your tracks and take a second glance; a visual shillyshally encompassed by a harmlessly dominate watery mirror-image in a ghostly gestalt.  This oil painted existential echo coerces you to ponder your existence, (well not quite), but Vives-Atsara forces you to reevaluate what we know about composition in the traditional landscape painting genre.

Yes, this vintage painting (provenance 1963) of a castle in Catalonia, Spain is formulated in a way that breaks the mold of composition in the traditional sense of an impressionistic painting. Many questions come to mind when evaluating “El Castillo en Reflejos”. First of all, our brain says, Hey! Wait! Which way is up?,  and we instinctively fight to resist the awkward art museum cliché of turning our head sideways to help us formulate those internal thoughts in our ability to comprehend contemporary art, we begin to suppress an interior struggle to question its validity with an ingrained and primordial self-doubt artistic chip on our mental shoulder.

Ward off that instinctive temptation to twist your neck askew so that one of your ears is up, like a canine.  It won’t to help you fathom any more of this pictorial puzzle as you unbearably struggle with this artwork like it is some cryptic but visual language presented to you with a seemingly fictional and mischievous intention by an artist aimed at sadistically avenging art by at driving us mad.
When you realize it’s all about the reflection in the water, you have to reestablish the horizon line, gain your bearing as to where you are in relation to the castle in the foreground. Then, we begin to calculate the surrounding. What is the terrain? Where is the artist positioning us? Is it an impossible perspective or just a detail with some artistic liberties?

Once we perfect our posture we begin to comprehend the whole painting is all about the small castle torrent in the water’s reflection. It mimics us with a queasy vertigo gaunt in the subtle picture plane, like some painterly echo of times gone past, an artistic and historical capture of some medieval period, a flash in history when this structure was vital to the survival of the surrounding area.

Now it’s a cool and calm reflection in the tranquil waters below, reaching out from some picturesque grave, a kind of allegory of the John Everett Millais's depiction of Ophelia offering herself to death in the cold water floating down the stream in a macabre melody of ancestral auros.  

Once ruled by the Crown of Aragon in the Mediterranean and complete with over 600 medieval fortresses, the autonomous region of Catalonia, Spain is a majestic territory comprised of smaller provinces that include: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona.  Jose Vives-Atsara portrays one of these numerous castles with painterly inquisition, giving us an impressionistic reflection, just enough detail for curiosity, matched only by a legion of historical prominence.

©Gabriel Diego Delgado
J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

Jose Vives-Atsara
“El Castillo en Reflejos, Catalonia, Spain”
Oil
24” x 30”
available at J.R. Mooney Galleries-Boerne, TX
78006
ph. 830-816-5106

www.jrmooneygalleries.com



Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Newly acquired (VINTAGE) Cliff Cavin landscape paintings



 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Cavin,%20Cliff

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Cavin,%20Cliff

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Cavin,%20Cliff

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Cavin,%20Cliff

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Cavin,%20Cliff

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Cavin,%20Cliff






Newly arrived J. Morgan landscapes to Boerne, Texas Gallery

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Morgan,%20J.

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Morgan,%20J.

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Morgan,%20J.

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Morgan,%20J.

 http://www.jrmooneygalleries.com/Morgan,%20J.





Newly Arrived selections of Jose Vives-Atsara at JR Mooney Galleries-Boerne









Meet the staff and Vintage Acquisitions at JR Mooney Galleries-Boerne

 

In the new edition of Plumage-TX magazine two small feature articles include a "Meet the Staff" section and new vintage acquisitions. 



 

Click the images to read online
 


 "Meet the Staff" section is an ideal stage to introduce our clients to our trusted and knowledgeable staff at J.R. Mooney Galleries-Boerne. Art Consultants and Framing Designers are a wealth of valuable insight for your fine art needs. Be sure to stop by and say hello. 


 

As J.R. Mooney Galleries acquires new vintage selections, it is important to note the after-market viability of these investments. As a fine art gallery dealing with estates, auction items and rare and unique fine art acquisitions, we want to present our audience with valuable information regarding current art market trends for sound investment possibilities. With the August  "Auction" section in Plumage-TX magazine, we take a look at a Jose Vives-Atsara Texas landscape, a Donald Yena and a Cliff Cavin. 

The Guadalupe River, Texas / Jose Vives-Atsara / oil on panel / 24" x 18" / $10,500.00
Detail of example of previous auction results.
Old Hideout / Donald Yena / watercolor on watercolor panel / 9" x 12" / $1,200.00
Detail of example of previous auction results.
September Sunlight / Cliff Cavin / 14" x 18" / oil on canvas / $1,775.00
Detail of example of previous auction results.
 


J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art is proud to be part of the new Luxurious Home Living television program. 

With this new partnership, J.R. Mooney Galleries is featured on the new edition with a great new commercial and a four minute interview with Gallery President, Mr. Robert Mooney.


 
 

Mr. Robert Mooney, President of J.R. Mooney Galleries being interviewed for Luxurious Home Living television program.

To view the video online, click the image above or go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wESFnTQujKk
 
Watch Video Click Here
 
 
Please visit the Luxurious Home Living website to watch the full episode at:
http://www.luxurioushomeliving.com/sanantonio/

PLumage-TX august 2015 edition with highlights

 

August 2015

 edition of

Plumage-TX Magazine


 

Click the images to read online
 

**Below are some highlights from the current edition of the Plumage-TX magazine. Be sure to check it out online for other news stories, articles, and information. 

--Spotlights articles in the new edition of Plumage-TX include Bill Scheidt, Seth Camm, Mary Hong, and Jay Hester

 

Among the new article selections are also a "Meet the Gallery Staff" insert, a new monthly advise column of "The Designer's Quill' and accented selections of custom framing projects completed by the Framing Staff at J.R. Mooney Galleries. 

 
CLICK TO READ ONLINE
CLICK TO READ ONLINE

MARY HONG

CLICK TO READ ONLINE
CLICK TO READ ONLINE

Mary Hong's artwork is available for sale at J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art

CLICK TO READ ONLINE

BILL SCHEIDT

Bill Scheidt's artwork is available for sale at J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art

SETHH CAMM

Look for a selection of Seth Camm portraits in the upcoming "Antecedent / Au Courant" exhibition at J.R. Mooney Galleries in September 2015

JAY HESTER

 


J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art is proud to be part of the new Luxurious Home Living television program. 

With this new partnership, J.R. Mooney Galleries is featured on the new edition with a great new commercial and a four minute interview with Gallery President, Mr. Robert Mooney.


 
 

Mr. Robert Mooney, President of J.R. Mooney Galleries being interviewed for Luxurious Home Living television program.

To view the video online, click the image above or go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wESFnTQujKk