IMAGES | STATEMENT | RESUME

I first met Enrique Santana in the summer of 1992. A soft spoken artist from Spain, and obviously well schooled in the arts. He was living in Boston for the summer and convinced me to come see some of his work. I was immediately struck by his stark and contemplative compositions, but what makes them so successful is his vision and ability to render the effect, and especially the mood, of light. He paints what appears to be accurate renditions of the ocean, beach or street. However, as I studied the canvases, the images transformed themselves into something more surreal than real. I was drawn into the landscapes and found myself contemplating the quiet surroundings, contemplating light, contemplating life. I was left wondering how I got there and why I left.

Since that first meeting, I have continued to gain respect for the way he uses and applies paint to the canvas. The textural qualities remind me that I am looking at a painting, that the image is applied to a flat surface, yet at the same time I am fooled by the subtlety and intensity of the light, and again I drift into the world of the painting or perhaps the world of my own imagination. There is something magical about SantanaÕs paintings which I find impossible to forget.

This catalogue cannot fairly represent the work but it will at least provide a reference to our second one person exhibition for this exceptional painter.

Jeffrey Chase Director, Chase Gallery, Boston 1995