Río Revuelto. Acrylic on canvas. 150x150
Rio Revuelto, which translates roughly as “troubled river”, consists of a series of paintings that try to better understand the varied and complex motions experienced by moving water as manifested in the form of turbulence, laminar flow, vortexes, whirlpools, currents, splashes, waterfalls, eddies, waves, and tidal movements.
Río Revuelto. Acrylic on raw canvas. 140x140cm
However chaotic in appearance, turbulent water is subject to a high degree of spontaneity: water particles become sensitive to other molecules and their environment, which results in a coordinated response. This is similar to the kind of order seen when a large group of people accommodate organically and without explicitly agreeing to it, to walk through a narrow path or tunnel: bodies become tightly packed and move automatically. Similar forms of spontaneous order are also seen in climatic events, ecological systems and technology.
Río Revuelto. Acrylic on raw canvas. 140x140cm
There have been consistent efforts to control and domesticate the flow of rivers with the help of infrastructure works like dams, canals, and sewers, that aim to redirect, reduce floods, or even change the direction of the flow. While some of these engineering works might be useful, it is often that water finds its way to break through them. It does so by remembering the places where it used to flow or by finding its way out, flooding and changing in shape.
Río Revuelto. Acrylic on raw canvas. 150x150cm
Río Revuelto. Acylic on canvas. 150x150cm