Behind the seemingly unpretentious characters and scenarios in Rodrigo Cunha's paintings lies what is unique to the artist's work: the central focus on the portrayal of the human figure; the gesture which, contrary to expressive brushstrokes, masks the artist's presence before the canvas; the caricature characters from the artist's imagination, in solitary poses that reveal something intimate; and the small details inserted as evidence of an invented biography. All of these elements reappear in Hora do Intervalo [Break Time], third solo show by Rodrigo Cunha in the gallery, open from May 17.
This new painting series is a development from what the artist presented in his last show at Zipper, Jardim cético [Skeptic garden] in 2015, which showed figures performing their trades: labour scenes, of the daily struggle for subsistence. Now, the characters are in their leisure time, or simply resting. Joy, pleasure, and distraction guide the situations shown on the canvases, which also seek the representation of certain types that exist on the margins of social interaction.
The paintings seem to freeze a certain moment in the life of these characters. Something was in progress when they stood still to be portrayed. Lonely and surrounded by elements taken from their imagined biographies, they pose as if for a photograph - in this case, the "photographer" is the painter himself. If in previous series Rodrigo Cunha portrayed characters of his imaginary, those portrayed now are based on real people, from the artist's social circle, for whom he nurtures some kind of affection.
