Paris

Delia Cugat began her career as a theater set designer. This had a lasting influence on her artistic practice, which has been described as Magic Realist since the 1970s. After she settled in Paris in 1976, Cugat began to create paintings of spare scenes whose solitary characters stand unresponsive to our gaze. In this case, the string pennants and tent-like structure—a symphony of cool greys and blues—suggest a performative space beyond our view, perhaps a circus or a sports event. Outside, a well-dressed man intently stares at the tent’s opening, which is held by a barely visible hand, suggesting a hidden presence waiting within. The feeling of delayed action and the odd object staked on the floor enhance the mystery of this scene; Cugat’s objective is to recreate an uncanny mood born from her imagination. She said: “I work unraveling an inner recollection of a scene, or an atmosphere, or a character, and from there, I try to extract the sensation, and the emotion I felt at the time: through color and light. But I have no prior vision of what the picture will be like…. little by little it begins to develop, like a conversation.”