Artist Statement
The imagery in my work builds upon an idiosyncratic abstract language inspired by the work of both M.C. Escher and
Piet Mondrian. Having studied both architecture and design before focusing on painting, my work explores the formal intersections between architecture, design, music and abstract painting while reflecting my deep interest in expanding upon the constraints of the Modernist grid and geometric abstraction.
My work often suggests a degree of ambiguity in terms of perspective and pictorial space. The allusions to architectural spaces that resist a clear interpretation of being either interior or exterior space suggest a search for a fixed, unified, point of view that remains elusive. However, there is an inevitable balance between the various visual elements that I always strive for, bringing out the inner logic, harmony, and rhythm of a piece.
As a visual artist and jazz musician, I find many connections between abstract painting and improvised music. I have long been inspired by both jazz and Classical music and, in particular, by the use of space, angularity, and dissonance found in the work of such composers as Thelonious Monk and Elliot Carter. My approach to composition reflects this influence. I compose my paintings in a way that is highly intuitive and improvisational, bringing out unexpected relationships between the various formal elements.
Santiago Hernandez
The imagery in my work builds upon an idiosyncratic abstract language inspired by the work of both M.C. Escher and
Piet Mondrian. Having studied both architecture and design before focusing on painting, my work explores the formal intersections between architecture, design, music and abstract painting while reflecting my deep interest in expanding upon the constraints of the Modernist grid and geometric abstraction.
My work often suggests a degree of ambiguity in terms of perspective and pictorial space. The allusions to architectural spaces that resist a clear interpretation of being either interior or exterior space suggest a search for a fixed, unified, point of view that remains elusive. However, there is an inevitable balance between the various visual elements that I always strive for, bringing out the inner logic, harmony, and rhythm of a piece.
As a visual artist and jazz musician, I find many connections between abstract painting and improvised music. I have long been inspired by both jazz and Classical music and, in particular, by the use of space, angularity, and dissonance found in the work of such composers as Thelonious Monk and Elliot Carter. My approach to composition reflects this influence. I compose my paintings in a way that is highly intuitive and improvisational, bringing out unexpected relationships between the various formal elements.
Santiago Hernandez