It's never what everybody wants

Text: Pascual Patuel (University of Valencia)

In the pictorial language of the 2nd half of the XX century exists a bare terrain left to waste by the young generation of artist newly entering the art scene. In the heat of postmodernity they have distracted their attention from a series of possibilities which seemed empty, but which seems to have regained roots.

The jump into the past should never be interpreted as an anachronism, an ode to the past, but moreover as a collection of formal possibilities which are valuable for the intresses of the present.

This is the case in the work of Monique van Steen (Breda, Holland 1976), whom revived the interes for the neofigurative style of the 70ties by looking at them trough the eyes of the present.

Monique has her expressive roots in a word dominated by the gestual style, but where between gestures and spots a necessity shimmers to incorporate human iconofy in contrary of the undefinedness of the abstract expressionism. She succeeds to insinuate organic forms in a sea of uncertainties and stained spaces.

She traces a dense cosmos consisting of her own natural surroundings and finds numerous balances and dialogues of human figure which perfilate the themes of her attention. Using drawing rather then painting, so much more direct than oil makes a much more intimate and fresh contact with the concept possible, which urges from a natural way of her inner being.

The work shown in this exposition exists of a mosaic of various works, grouped in a certain order around a main work, which represent the theme of "cultural diversity".

Our author doesn't want to be dogmatic in her social or cultural believes. Rather she seeks to raise questions, to sow doubts in order to get the spectator to reflex and direct their attencion to the so presently contexts of our world.

The spectator feels immediately immersed by the people, embodied as a collective with all its complicated interactions. The contact that this artist has had with the different cultures and forms of life have helped her to relative and enjoy all the positive and enriching aspects of it.

She is especially interested in what is so basic in the human being; it's instinctive dimension and that what gave the culture in which she lives and in which she is so much immerged that is has changed her idiosyncrasy, her particular character.

In this context she pleads for respect and understanding for the other, also when this might be a minority of the society. Her work invites to look at the different options with an open mind, to understand them within the cultural parameter from where they emerge and open to a world which is called: the other, freed from all prejudice which limitate all mutual enrichment. Maybe that that in this line of reflexion we can gain a solidaire world, where diversity is a fountain of enrichment instead of margination and isolation.