Rafael Romero Masiá: From Form to Structure
by Antonio Ventura for And-Art Works Magazine
The first striking element when encountering any of Rafael Romero Masiá’s paintings is the atmosphere that permeates them. It makes no difference which series we approach—Abstract Transparencies, Lisbon Tiles, Contrasts, Abstract Landscapes—all of them, each with its own distinct qualities, share a unifying aesthetic. This unity is primarily defined by a unique set of textures that form the essential raw material of the artist’s work.
Three elements shape any work of visual art: color, form, and matter. To the untrained eye, these may appear few, yet the countless variations each can take—and their interplay—give rise to a work of art, in this case, a painting. In our present century, some might think that speaking about paintings is an outdated notion. On the contrary, it remains, in my view, a vital necessity. Thanks to emerging artists like Romero Masiá, those who love painting—viewers who wish to live alongside an aesthetic creation—can fulfill that need.
Of the three essential elements in a visual artwork, all are present in Romero Masiá’s practice. Yet there is one that, almost invisibly, defines the sensitive surfaces of his paintings: the forms he constructs through intelligent drawing, always integrated into a structure where harmony determines the final artistic expression.
Flaubert once wrote (to recall from memory) that the writer should be in his work like God in Nature—present everywhere, yet invisible. This quality presides over and defines the meticulous work of Romero Masiá.
Do not remain only in the subtle atmosphere that immediately captures us when we see one of his paintings. Go beyond it, and observe—with the innocence required to truly contemplate a work of art—the elements that compose it. Do not attempt to discover a magician’s trick in the representation; you would be disappointed, and there is none to be found. What remains is a profound aesthetic lesson that the artist has achieved in his joyful struggle with color, matter, and form through drawing. Let yourself be carried away by the emotion that you will undoubtedly feel.
