Valentina Gomez exhibits 11 works, which are variations of 3 basic pictures. Matador has 4 versions, Taconea has 6, and there is a single work titled Positive.

In Matador, a matador looks down, eyes closed - the two dominant images are his large hat and upper body. The versions are different-coloured screen prints on canvas: purple, fluorescent yellow, orange, pink. There is a contemplative quality to the figure's face, as if lost in thought, or regret.

Taconea dominates the exhibition, and is deceptively simple - a pair of shoes. They're Alice shoes with polka-dots, ballet-shaped, as a child might wear but in adult size, their straps wide open. But on a closer look, there is in the base of each the imprint of a tiny bare foot. At first glance the shoes look innocent, but the child's footprint gives them an edge. Perhaps they symbolise the metaphor of a child stepping into an adult's shoes, taking on the burden of an adult's life. Perhaps it's the adult remembering herself as a girl. Most are screen-prints on canvas, each in a different background colour - orange, cerulean blue, leaf green, white. One is deep red on deep red, the design almost invisible. One (on canvas, c 40 x 70cm) is covered in handwriting including the words 'just a little girl'.

Positive (paper on canvas c 90 x 90cm) is a large multi-coloured circle on a red square ground. The circle is made up of many pastel-coloured paper dots and some four-sided paper stars. The work suggests a microscope slide - perhaps the title refers to an HIV-Positive molecule.

Valentina Gomez's works shown here carry - particularly the Taconea variations - a subtle and disturbing undertone. The works explore emotion rather than physical appearance, brought out in the choice of colours and the way the colour-tones of the foregrounds relate to the backgrounds. But that is not at the expense of form - all the drawn works share a delicate elegance of shape and line.

List of Works: (approximate sizes). Matador (screen print on canvas 60 x 90cm). Matador (screen print on canvas 60 x 90cm). Matador (screen print on canvas 60 x 90cm). Matador (screen print on canvas 60 x 90cm). Taconea (screen print on canvas 60 x 70cm). Taconea (screen print on canvas 60 x 70cm). Taconea (screen print on canvas 60 x 70cm). Taconea (screen print on canvas 60 x 90cm). Taconea (on canvas 40 x 70cm). Taconea (35 x 70cm). Positive (paper on canvas 90 x 90cm). (End of list)

Credits: Artist - Valentina Gomez. Hotel Proprietor - Hervé Guyat

END

John Park

reviewed Wednesday 23 May 07 / New Steine Hotel

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008