#04542 Xaime Quessada (1937-2007)

The composition presents a stark and unsettling scene dominated by two figures set against a backdrop of intense color fields. The artist has employed a flattened perspective, minimizing depth and emphasizing the symbolic weight of the subjects. A vibrant red-orange hue saturates the upper portion of the canvas, contrasting sharply with a horizontal band of deep blue that runs along the lower edge. This division creates a sense of visual tension and isolates the figures within their own defined spaces.
On the left side, a female figure is rendered in pale flesh tones, her form distorted and fragmented. Her posture suggests an attempt at reaching or warding off something unseen; one arm is raised dramatically while the other rests on what appears to be a stylized chair or platform. The artist’s brushwork here is loose and expressive, contributing to the sense of instability and vulnerability surrounding this figure.
To her right sits a male figure, whose appearance is particularly disturbing. His face is masked by an almost equine visage – a grotesque combination of human and animal features – and his body appears muscular but contorted in an unnatural pose. He too occupies a chair-like structure, which seems to trap him within the composition. The artist’s application of paint here is rougher, with visible strokes that accentuate the figures unsettling physicality.
The color palette reinforces the painting’s emotional intensity. The fiery red-orange evokes feelings of anxiety and potential danger, while the cool blue provides a stark contrast, suggesting isolation or perhaps even despair. The limited range of colors contributes to an overall sense of claustrophobia and unease.
Subtly embedded within the composition are geometric shapes – rectangles and planes – that further disrupt any illusion of spatial realism. These forms seem to act as barriers, both visually and metaphorically, separating the figures from one another and from the viewer. The painting seems to explore themes of power dynamics, vulnerability, and perhaps a distorted view of human relationships, conveyed through unsettling imagery and an emotionally charged color scheme. It is a work that resists easy interpretation, inviting contemplation on the darker aspects of the human condition.