116. Mystic Landscape [1962]

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116. Mystic Landscape [1962]

Horia Damian

1922, Bucureşti - 2012, Paris

Not sold

Selling price

EUR 12.060

References

Exhibition catalogue ”Horia Damian”, National Museum of Contemporary Art, September-October 2009. VARIA, Radu, ”Horia Damian. Works from Romanian museums and collections, 1930-1946”, Official Monitor Publishing House, Bucharest, 2009.

oil, gesso and acrylic on canvas, 250 x 162.5 cm, signed and dated bottom right, in black, "DAMIAN, (19)62"

The transition from conventional painting to deep abstract occurs against the backdrop of the artist's changing cultural climate in 1946. As a result of the prize won at the Official Salon in 1942 and helped by the painter Jean Alexandru Steriadi, who was more than confident in the creative power of the young artist, Horia Damian leaves the native space and leaves behind the artistic manner that he had approached here. Thus, leaving the national space also represents the stylistic permutation of the artist's work. In Paris, Damian's new approach arouses the admiration of important figures on the international scene, including Yves Klein and Salvador Dali. The artist will learn to use painting as discourse in decoding the mysteries of human destiny and will assume the role of guide in his attempt to direct the public's attention to things he considers essential. He will thus create the series of starry skies, a series which has enjoyed real success on the walls of important galleries and international museums. His utopian universes, laden with mystery, were the central point of the cosmogonic cycles, furrowed by small, white and shining points, which are juxtaposed endlessly, creating that depth specific to Horia Damian's work. The present creation is among the works that open the series of large constellations. The artist uses elements that he often included in his experiments from the previous decade and works predominantly in relief. Thus, his desire to create a work as immersive as possible stands out, which catches the viewer's attention and takes him into a distinct universe, where he can let his imagination run free.

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