Enrique Machado: Water Reflections

Enrique Machado was the gallery's highlighted artist for January 2025 at the Miromar Design Center.

Art is a creative experience that merges the alchemy of science and the metaphoric journey of art. Machado is an artist and a scientist, expressing abstraction through a technique in which he combines silicone and resin on wood. His paintings carry the trace, texture and feel of a chain of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms, worked like oils but built into a three dimensional network. Each of them seems to follow a plan, to make us aware that water is a precious resource that keeps us alive.

Machado's work is a profound reflection of the recurring themes and obsessions that have defined his artistic journey. Through the use of silicone and resins applied over wood, he creates intricate, abstract waves and flowing textures interwoven with lines reminiscent of stock market trading patterns. These elements converge to serve as a powerful reminder of humanity's destructive tendencies, both in our careless treatment of water, a fundamental resource essential to life, and in the ways we harm ourselves and our environment.

The theme of water serves as the centerpiece of Machado's work, drawing attention to the consequences of its mistreatment, such as oil spills polluting oceans and rivers. His art critiques a universal human condition driven by greed, an insatiable pursuit of gain that disregards the well being of others, the natural world and its ecosystems. Machado uses the motif of stock market inspired lines to symbolize the fear, uncertainty and anxiety that come with the relentless chase for economic success, highlighting the psychological and environmental toll we often consider an acceptable price to pay.

Crafted with silicone and resins, his works invite a sensory curiosity, enticing viewers to reach out and touch the pieces despite the usual boundaries of gallery etiquette. This interactive appeal enhances the impact of his creations, subtly encouraging audiences to reflect on their own impulses and relationship with the themes presented. Yet perhaps the true challenge at his exhibitions lies in resisting the urge to explore these tactile surfaces openly.

Machado's work transcends aesthetics, delivering a poignant message about the fragility of our natural resources, the cost of human greed, and the emotional complexities tied to our pursuit of success.