Gabriela Machado: Pequenas Pinturas

The artist Gabriela Machado spent 20 days in an artistic residence in Hamptons, New York, in this June, where she set herself to produce a small painting every day, inspired by the surrounding area. The result of this work will be displayed at the exhibition “Gabriela Machado – Pequenas pinturas”, launched on September 24 at Gallery Marcelo Guarnieri. Along with the works produced in New York, there will be also ten works of the same series, made in Rio de Janeiro after the time spent at the artistic residence, which show how place influences on the artistic making.

Known for her large-scale paintings, in which she puts panels on the floor and paints with fast movements, walking over the canvas in an intense corporal work, Gabriela Machado has always produced small paintings, but they were shown to the audience only a few times. “The large-scale painting is a body projection, to understand that area and occupy it. The small painting is more related to observation, to pulse, in which the stroke defines the painting. The paint, the making takes you to another place, define how that work will be made”, explain the artist.

Gabriela Machado, who was invited by Christine Macdonald to the artistic residence “Further on AIR”, spent her days in a lakefront house producing her works almost like a diary, making the act of painting continuous. “I was alone, in direct contact with the nature, working all day long, having as inspiration the gorgeous landscape around”, tells the artist, who named the series “Hamptons” after the place. “This is an exhibition of reflection”, she says.

Back to Rio de Janeiro, Gabriela Machado continued painting works of this series, also in small scale, at her atelier in Horto. “The colors have changed completely. The light here bursts, so the paintings have stronger colors, as red. There, the shades are paler, the light is less intense and it is possible to better see the details”, explains the artist.

The exhibition includes 20 works produced in Hamptons, New York, and ten produced in Rio de Janeiro. All the paintings of the exhibition has small scale, with sizes varying between 28 x 36 cm and 20 x 30 cm, and they were produced during this year, in oil paint on linen.