Born 1986 I Lives and works in Phoenix AZ, USA
Larry Madrigal lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona. Madrigal recently completed his MFA at Arizona State University in Tempe. His paintings are a suspension and celebration of the precariousness by which our most mundane daily rituals are balanced on a precipice just above total anarchy.
In a natural, spontaneous and fleeting way, Madrigal’s works present characters while they are taking care of varied tasks. Simple everyday moments transform from illustrative to profound, touching or even absurd, as the artist changes his position, perspective or approach. Madrigal investigates the life and human figure with their innate qualities while his impressionist technique to paint unravels the actual conflicting nature of the subject.
The realistic accuracy to detail and the ultimate first sense of beauty is intensified by the palette Madrigal chooses. The soft and evocative tones depict familiar and ordinary life. Individuality and complexity are presented with figures and their own worlds, yet they seem tangible and relatable.
The experiencing of notions of this domestic atmosphere is captivating. Looking closer, the spectator will realise how the works present also the tensions within the motifs. Intertwined with the treatment of the subject is the engaging character of the problematic and nondescript. The question remains: is the contemplation really aimed at the viewer, the subject, or the world — or are we, after all, laughing together to the ridiculousness of it all? Nothing is immediately obvious, and there are several layers and labels, which are addressed.
Throughout Madrigal’s works, the attempt to picture something cross-cultural and universally experienced, brings out a sensation of collective discourse. He invites us to understand, through reconstruction, how the conditions are shared and equally challenging to us all. Madrigal’s manner to consider the humanistic idea retains the reflection. The artist refers to it as ”Madrigal’s moment”, which means representing the chaos. Elevating the normal to extraordinary by capturing its core, Madrigal’s art is both a truth and a reflection.
