SPACE July 2026 (No. 704)
Pezo von Ellrichshausen, 73103241234 (Jardin Series No. 1), oil on linen, 2600 x 6300mm (triptych), 2024.
This is both a figurative and abstract painting. It depicts an idealised landscape that tempers the traditional distinction between architecture and nature. Based on a regular formation of columns and beams, represented through a one-point central perspective, the horizontal extension of the painting is densely populated by plants and flowers. This imaginary place is a garden; wilderness enlightened by human spirit. According to traditional interpretations, the garden symbolises human consciousness, the soul and its naïve innocence. The garden is a kind of controlled, intimate and fertile domain. It is a space for contemplation and delight. Even if the root of the word refers to enclosure (hortus conclusus), this is an open garden. The regular structure suggests an endless panorama, extended in radial paths. The sense of continuity, vitality and vibrant generosity is nurtured by the organic growth of about five thousand flowers. These flowers correspond to one hundred native and exotic species that inhabit the Chilean southern countryside, all of which can be found throughout the farm where the authors live and work. Thus, perhaps as in a romantic portrait, this large painting can be read as an imaginary trip from south to south, from America to Korea. Confronted with a frontal view, aligned with the axis of the hall, this fictional and highly ornate rendering of scenery is at once monumental and familiar, serene and festive. Somehow echoing the still-life genre, this abundant garden puts a synchronic taxonomy of plants (which naturally mature at different times) on display in a unique repository of what we intuitively regard as natural beauty.
