"Aggression and struggles for power abound in the vivid paintings of Ángela Ferrari. The Argentinian artist is keen to explore the limits and consequences of control through scenes rife with antagonism: dogs nip at each other, horses buck and bare their teeth, and birds lie lifeless. Evoking hunting paintings and masculine displays of pride for a kill, Ferrari's works consider the relationship between predator and prey."
"In her most recent body of work, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, the artist extends her proclivity for teasing out the tension between life and death. There are tiny works with looser brushstrokes that zero in on singular moments of tension, while a spate of large pieces magnify several tussles with vivid details. Paintings like "Aurora" stretch nearly 12 feet wide and present a diverse group of fowl with various dispositions, all against a stunning mottled sky."
Ángela Ferrari's paintings stage visceral confrontations that probe control, dominance, and the predator-prey relationship through animal imagery and hunting motifs. The They Shoot Horses, Don't They? series varies scale and brushwork, from small, loose canvases capturing single tense moments to expansive works densely populated with combative creatures. Monumental pieces like "Aurora" assemble diverse fowl against a mottled sky, juxtaposing impending violence, decay, and unaffected vitality. Lush fabrics, vivid colors, and floral detritus amplify a grotesque-passionate baroque sensibility. Settings shift from indoor tableaux to wild landscapes, foregrounding suffering and prompting scrutiny of causes and consequences of ruthless domination.
#predator-prey-dynamics #power-and-aggression #grotesque-passionate-baroque #contemporary-figurative-painting
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