“The Lesson” (2020), oil on canvas, 130 x 170 centimeters. All images © Paco Pomet, shared with permission
In Beginnings, Spanish artist Paco Pomet (previously) visualizes a series of jarring and absurd scenarios born out of an equally concerning event. He juxtaposes disparate elements—a mushroom cloud erupting in a classroom, women cavalierly poking at a tabletop sunrise, a mountain range lying on an operating table—in a series of satirical commentaries infused with pop culture references and nods to art history.
Generally contrasting a black-and-white scene with a recurring, full-color sunrise or sunset, Pomet’s compositions merge time periods and situations to mark the start of a new reality, a broad theme tied to the current moment. “Romanticism with a twist of irony is a very powerful visual engine,” he says about the series.
If you’re in Santa Monica, Beginnings is on view through May 8 at Richard Heller Gallery. Otherwise, find more of Pomet’s humorous and bizarre compositions on Artsy and Instagram.
“Little Big Grief” (2020), oil on canvas, 51 1/5 × 66 9/10 inches
“Hesperides” (2020), oil on canvas, 51 1/5 × 66 9/10 inches
“Melancholy School” (2020), oil on canvas, 51 1/5 × 59 1/10 inches
“The Art of Scaling” (2020), oil on canvas, 51 1/5 × 59 1/10 inches
“Headstrong” (2020), oil on canvas, 23 3/5 × 28 7/10 inches
“Classicism” (2021), oil on canvas, 60 × 73 inches
“Das Erhabene Büro (diptych)” (2020), oil on canvas, 59 1/10 × 102 2/5 inches