Emil Alzamora

Emil Alzamora

Being a true follower of fashion and the go to guy for advice on shoe and collar alike, I'm always reading the latest glossy or perusing the sharp end of the high street. I'm only at home with shop assistants doting and tills ringing and if the boutique is absent the fashion channel, I'm outa there! I've stated this often but there is one thing I've never understood. Once in a while some correspondent in a bad take on a good suit or a columnist so obviously dressed by a sponsor, will remark, ________ is the new black. Normally this kind of craziness would launch me into email admonish or swift twitter reprimand. Those in the know, know, black will always be the new black and I don't mean very very very very very, very very very dark blue!

Masochist

Emil Alzamora has broken this rule. White is the new black. His clean gypsum and bronze work is as simple and refined as you could expect. Blindfolded and drunk, using only a trusty pointing stick you could pick any piece, place it in any gallery, in any city and draw stellar review and crowd to boot. Mesopotamian art and myth seem to influence a lot of his work giving us easy approach, until we find ourselves standing in a puddle of surreal dripping on the floor. Like many of my favourite artists his interest is emotion and situation expressed in the human form but like only a few he does this with such cunning and subtlety, as to fool any audience of his severity.

A Nice Reflection

 

His form is flawless, even while so obviously holding back in realism, giving just enough space for us from the warts. I love this. Like the murder ballads Alzamora has infiltrated the daily art scene. Morrison said "like a spy in the house of love". I say like Manson at Polanski's pad. I do not wish to make light of the misfortunes of the great Mr Polanski or the tragic death of his good wife and friends and I just know I'll feel bad about that statement in the morning. I just feel I should drive my point that although Emil Alzamora strikes me as a true gentleman and very talented artist, I do believe at least some of his skill is his fooling us into gazing upon ideas and situations which would, in the dark hour, haunt.

Ultima Thule

 His work sneaks up well after we turn away and the knowing is a slow growing cancer. Realisation at snails pace, doing us the true favour of softening the blow. Few will immediately see the gut wrenching that stands lightly in white, black or rust. This is to Alzamoras credit. I envy this element of his work the most. 

 

Minotaur

 

Visit Emil Alzamora here or better go to a show if you're lucky enough to be near one. You'll be glad you did.