Lorenzo Fernàndez's Realist Still Lifes at Galerie Taménaga

Galerie Taménaga in Paris presents 'Lorenzo Fernàndez, ordonnancement réaliste,' a solo exhibition of around thirty works by the Madrid-born artist (b. 1970), on view until October 29, 2022. Fernàndez blurs the boundaries between photography and painting, creating hyperrealist still lifes that function as memento mori. His compositions evoke altar imagery and domestic sanctuaries, combining acute observation with metaphorical thinking. The works employ macrophotographic techniques and enlargements that reveal mise en abyme, echoing vanitas and heightened spirituality. This is the artist's fifth solo show in Paris. The pieces incorporate toys, figurines, and enigmatic objects, juxtaposing a portrait of dancer Anna Pavlova with a Spanish Civil War tax stamp and a pop art source featuring a withered flower. Fernàndez's paintings raise questions about money eroding love, art as visual pleasure, and the origins of pop art. His series references the Cold War, space race, and prosaic historical moments. The artist's statement 'What is gained in security is lost in horizon' underscores the mental game of accumulation. Works include 'Malaj,' 'Flores de origami,' 'Lucia, made in Spain,' 'La fuente del pop art,' and 'Cuentahilos,' the latter being the artist's only childhood photo. A bunker wall painted during lockdown appears in his series 'El muro.' The exhibition flirts with trompe-l'œil and offers a vital, sinuous breath of life.