Giacomo Santiago Rogado's autopoietic paintings defy a direct interpretation. In order to understand their expressive power, one must examine the kaleidoscopic impressions, ideas and emotions running through his artistic practice. He invites us to marvel at the associations evoked, which may be understood as a meditative state in contrast to our fast-paced society.
The colorfully contrasting surfaces and intricate, abstract language of forms create a hypnotizing and pulsating effect.
Rogado locates his artistic practice between a controlled intention and a process left to chance, bringing technique, color and form into harmony. He develops his oeuvre steadily over long periods of time, choosing colors and impetus intuitively, in the absence of preplanned sketches. One color tone determines the next, the developed surface signature of one painting refers to that of another and thus his serial work grows independently ad infinitum.
With this series Giacomo Santiago Rogado incorporates the sensual and spiritual experience of meditation and Asian philosophy, translating them into an artistic form of expression.
The influence of Asian philosophy such as Zen Buddhism is not uncommon in the art of the 20th century. The philosophy of repetitive, though by no means predictable, everyday tasks - including the painting process itself - can lead to satori (enlightenment). This theory found followers such as John Cage and Jackson Pollock, who felt a relationship to the teachings of Zen. Piet Mondrian yearned for spiritual enlightenment through the abstraction of natural objects into pure color and surface. And Mark Rothko intended to represent the intuitive unconscious in color surface painting, rooting the philosophy of meditation in the painting process as an unquestionable prerequisite to free art, according to Hans Hartung,
Giacomo Santiago Rogado's paintings and expansive installations encourage us to question the fine line between what we see and what we think we see, turning perception into a meditative experience.
The interplay between control, intuition and chance is traced through the series of works "Intuition" (2014- Ongoing). On an untreated and wet canvas the painter freely applies color pigments, allowing them to expand and combine. In doing so he simultaneously follows his intuition while relying on the selected colors to present unpredictable combinations and powerful expressions as they evaporate. Rogado allows the pigments to form aesthetic shapes independently, overlapping in exceptionally expressive configurations. The result is a unique surface signature: from the bright center, intensely colored gradients of masterfully fine structure extend to the edges of the painting, overlapping to create the effect of depth, reminiscent of underwater plants, sponges or corals. A metamorphosis of colors and forms revealed by time, the free and sensitive handling of color develops from the subconscious, compelling contemplative engagement.
The painter stages the abstract works in the "Intuition" series in panorama, arranging the large-format canvases in line. The effect of depth in the color gradients creates an imposing pictorial architecture, suggesting the painting as a walk-in space, inviting the viewer into an immersive and meditative pictorial experience. This reads as an act of deceleration (?), which plays a fundamental role in Rogado's aesthetic and way of thinking.
For the series of works "Accord" (2019 - Ongoing), Rogado applies prefabricated stencils which systematically support the paintings' surfaces with geometric shapes and dense structures. He then paints over them with a coordinated color palette, creating a surface dynamic that seems to activate the geometric forms into infinity. The series functions as a metaphor for the interplay between forms and elements, and their potential in the micro and macro levels of the world.
The working method in the series "Coalescense" (2016 - Ongoing) can be understood as a meditative and controlled painting process. Rogado draws fine, wavy brushstrokes from the center of the painting to the edges, creating an effect of suction into the center of the painting. The use of contrasting color combinations, such as warm and cool tones, creates movement and depth in the images while appearing three-dimensional. Line and surface act as cartography for an introspective view.
The works on paper (Ongoing) make it possible to understand the painter's auto-poetic methodology more thoroughly as a contemplative and introspective process. Like an archive of memories, they document his methodological range and investigation into structure. The pieces, to which one might ascribe the function of a mood board or mind map, are independent works in which techniques and motifs fuse into new forms.
Giacomo Santiago Rogado (*1979, Lucerne, Switzerland) studied fine arts at the Lucerne School of Art and Design. His works are exhibited worldwide and have received several awards. The artist lives and works in Berlin, Basel and Lucerne. More
