Xesus Vázquez - Diego (De la serie “La frontera del Edén”), 1989

Author: Xesus Vázquez (Pentes, Ourense, 1946; nationality: Spanish)
Title: Diego (From the series “The Border of Paradise,” 1989-90)
Technique and support: Rayogram on Ilford Multigrade paper
Date: 1989
Signed and dated in pencil, on the passepartout, at the bottom right: “x vazquez 89”
Framed with passepartout. The framing was done by the artist himself and is part of the artwork
Dimensions: 23.5 x 30 cm. (Image size, excluding the passepartout)
Presentation in original folder
The attached photos form part of the description
Impeccable condition
This work has always been kept in a dark file, between acid-free protective paper
Export to the buyer’s country can be arranged by express courier and securely
The artist is highly valued today and included in the most prestigious Spanish public collections (See attached photographs)

TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE WORK:
- RAYOGRAM (or Photogram): A photographic process made without a camera. It consists of placing objects directly on a light-sensitive surface (in this case, paper) and exposing them to light. When the paper is developed, the covered areas stay white, the exposed areas become black, and the edges create a grayscale that silhouettes the objects in a ghostly or abstract manner.
- ILFORD MULTIGRADE PAPER: A type of black-and-white photographic paper with variable contrast, widely used in traditional laboratories. When used for rayograms, it allows the artist to play very precisely with the depth of blacks and the subtlety of grays depending on the light filters used in the enlarger. This type of piece reflects Vázquez’s most experimental and abstract facet, where chance, direct light, and the material trace replace the traditional brush, maintaining the conceptual dialogue characteristic of exhibitions held by Galería Juana de Aizpuru.

Born in Pentes (Ourense) in 1946, Xesus Vázquez began his career in the 1960s. Gradually, he created cycles such as the 'Watchtowers' with Goethe, and the 'Caves', as well as series of paintings with titles of great battles, compiled under the name 'Memory is a Starry Night' (Banco Zaragozano, 1991). He also explores abstraction in his 'tableautins', more than one hundred experimental small-format paintings with figurative faces and geometric abstractions, forming part of the cycle of 'The International'. While initially looking toward American abstraction, he later turned his gaze to Europe in the 1980s, with Kiefer, Schnabel, and Polke as references, also incorporating literary influences of Ezra Pound. He has exhibited in numerous galleries (notably 'Siboney' in Santander and 'Juana de Aizpuru' in Madrid), venues, and museums, up to the major retrospective by the CGAC in Santiago de Compostela in 2005. Xesus Vázquez has also delved into photography and printmaking, as well as graphic design. Poetry has been another medium developed by Vázquez, whose poem 'Mitad del gozne' was published by 'Caballo de Troya' in 1990 and reissued in 1997. He has also contributed to the editing of magazines such as 'Comercial de la pintura' and 'La ortiga'.