The Elliptical Hour
Book painting. Paint, inject print on synthetic paper, wood, book cloth, archival adhesive, color paper
181 x 107 cm (when open), 45,8 x 30,5 x 4,5 cm (when closed)
The Elliptical Hour is a work by Rafael Domenech, from his series of book paintings, in which the artist constantly questions our relationship with works of art and the relationships they have with their environment:
« Both objects and paintings, his “book paintings” (…) transform the traditional understanding of the pictorial medium, repositioning it as a modular system. By borrowing from the world and vocabulary of books, Rafael Domenech defies the conventional, frontal relationship one has to painting.In the process of folding and unfolding that the work enables, the visitor is invited to come closer, to discover new fragments, a new geography of painting (…). Never definitive, they can live multiple lives, whether placed in a library like a book, hung on a wall, or resting on a table. »1
To create his book paintings, the artist combines simple materials, manual techniques, and digital manipulation. Drawing on archives and his own photographs, he scans, superimposes, and deconstructs his visuals, creating friction and tension between colors and shapes. The final composition evokes an ephemeral poster or urban or industrial signage—reflecting his ongoing interest in the construction of cities, their infrastructure, and the circulation of images within them. Here we recognize the texture of bubble wrap, which becomes a motif on the surface of the work. The Elliptical Hour is part of a complete ecosystem designed by the artist: book paintings can be easily transported in a bag, redefining the way artworks are transported and reducing the costs (financial, human, ecological) of their circulation and exhibition. The conceptual and physical flexibility of book paintings also echoes the personal history of Domenech, who was born in Cuba and now lives in the United States : « mobility, disjointment, and unfolding in spaces are part of my life ».2
1 Jérôme Sans, « Architecture of Exchanges », cat. Flowers Blooming on Acid, 2024, Paris: 193 Gallery, p.7
2 Artist’s quote, cat. Flowers Blooming on Acid, 2024, Paris: 193 Gallery, p. 26
