The solo exhibition of the Spanish painter José Maria Sicilia collects a series of paintings realized by the artist with virgin wax and oil pigments in his Majorca studio, including also some of the works presented worldwide in other three different European capitals. After the Soledad Lorenzo Gallery (Madrid, 2006), Eclipses 2006 was at the Albion Gallery (London, 2006) and then finally at the Valentina Moncada Gallery. In reference to the works realized by American artists such as Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman in holy spaces and to the Damien Hirst’s “Four Evangelists”, the exhibition managed to evocate the atmosphere of an holy space through the use of lightening and darkness and the set of the paintings in the space of the gallery. The big glass wall at the gallery’s entrance, the high ceilings and the central wall in front of the entrance like an holy altar are part of the exhibition set so that the works seem to be exhibited inside a chapel.
The exhibition is presented as an itinerary opening with four big paintings (a diptych of 180x300cm and three works of 180x150cm) of vivid colors evocating the intensity of mystic love. In the intermediate room other four paintings of medium dimensions where the wax brightness is predominant in respect to the violence of the color remaining in the bottom, as track and memory of love, crystallization and remains of the passionate love. In the third little room, other six little paintings with dark colors like black, violet, blue, seem to remember the darkness, the abandon and the mystic communion, closing the exhibition itinerary. While the first exhibition of the Spanish artist in 2002 was focused on the flora iconography, this new selection of works drives more attention on the colors frame, of texture inspired by insects. Always presented in the work of Sicilia is the idea of revelation and of darkness in his paintings throughout the game of light/dark spots between colorful pigments and wax.