Chelsea Guerdat, Special Projects Manager chose Untitled, 2020, by Jose Dávila for #StaffPicksSaturday.
Jose’s sculptures are physical manifestations of pure dualism. Whenever I am fortunate to encounter his work, I have two contradictory experiences at the exact same time. It is as if I am witnessing Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment” in sculptural form, and I dare not look away for fear of missing the best part.
Experience 1: The antagonistic elements -- two organically shaped boulders, painted for the first time in an unmistakable Yves Klein-inspired blue, and two geometric polished concrete volumes -- are forced together by pressure, resistance and tension. The sculpture appears fragile, unstable, under constant threat of rupture, precariously existing on the verge of collapse. Everything is unsettled and uncertain; the struggle between the opposing forces is palpable. Ominous, impending chaos.
Experience 2: Calmness ensues. The complementary elements are at rest, suspended in perfect equilibrium. The boulders and concrete volumes coexist in a harmonious state of stillness, providing balanced, reciprocal support to each other. The individual elements are synthesized into a cohesive whole, stronger together than the sum of their parts.
It is then up to me as the viewer to reconcile my conflicting experiences. This is why I find Jose's works to be so lastingly impactful. Whether it is a singular sculpture, such as Untitled, or a body of sculptures, such as the Los Límites de lo Posible or the Joint Effort series, Jose’s aptly named sculptures make me an active participant with WORK to do. I become like the sculptures myself - seeking out that fleeting moment where all of the dynamic experiences align to a perfect point of making sense. - @chelseaguerdat
#Jose Dávila, Untitled, 2020, concrete, boulders and epoxy paint, 37 5/8 x 21 5/8 x 30 1/2 inches (95.5 x 55 x 77.5 cm)