Latifa Echakhch

The sky, a recurring thematic in Latifa Echakhch’s practice, is ever present in the new series Sun Set Down. While the reference for her previous Underneath paintings was the classic representation in Italian Renaissance fresco, the new series is closer to the viewing habits of the 20th century, influenced by the supersaturated aesthetics of technicolor film and the bright and brilliant color palette of mainstream landscape photography. A radiant sun set in a mountain landscape is captured in vivid hues, ranging from dark blue to red, orange and gold, while the lower part of the scene is dominated by the dark silhouette of the surrounding peaks.But only fragments of the painted image are intact, while large portions of the scene appear to be missing, scratched and abrased with vigorous gestures, unveiling a rough layer of concrete previously applied on the canvas. The process of deconstruction collides sharply with the apparently romantic subject matter, entailing a displacement of the viewer’s gaze, one of the central expedients of Echakhch’s narrative. Nonetheless, as opposed to the darker tones of previous works, in Sun Set Down the splendor of the scenery is still lingering in the air, bearing witness of a magic moment that has just happened.