"The silence of the universe, silence of silences, a silence all alone, abducted silence, and after the after, silence." Thus ends the poem that presents the exhibition Silenci matèric by the plastic artist, musician and cabinetmaker Joan B Domènech. The exhibition can be visited for free at the Sarrià Civic Center until March 30 and in it you can see the most heartbreaking silences on which the artist from Vinaròs reflects.
Domènech is clear about his roots as an artist. "I am a professional musician. That is why I feel great respect, admiration and devotion for silence at all levels. It makes me reflect a lot, apart from in the musical field. We are surrounded by silence and thanks to it I can criticize the silence of being humanity in the face of the destruction of the planet or silence in the face of capitalism and the consumer society that oppresses us", Domènech explained to La Vanguardia.
His sculptural paintings are inspired by material transformation and not by formal perfection. "My first profession was that of a cabinetmaker and I worked for many years in my father's old workshop in Vinaròs. As a classical musician you always seek sound perfection. As a cabinetmaker you seek formal perfection in each piece of furniture. For this reason, at the beginning of my career As an artist, my method of creation was focused on seeking the perfection of each finish. But this method raised doubts. I seek plastic, not formal perfection. That is why I find the perfection of the work in its imperfection", the artist has qualified. In all the sample of the exhibition you can see the rusty and degraded paintings. According to the artist, "that is what gives life to the paintings".
Domènech's technique is as varied as his creations. The effect of deterioration and transformation is achieved thanks to working on insulating plates that he draws and then degrades with solvents. At the end he adds textures with mixtures of sand and glue. "When I manage to capture the passage of time in the painting, it is when the work speaks for itself", Domènech stated.
The titles of his paintings are essential to understand his work. "Otherwise, it would look like abstract art and that's it. But abstract art with no depth other than materiality doesn't interest me. I want my work to be full of critical and personal meaning. It helps me capture what worries me ", explained the artist.
Although the artist uses words, silence is the protagonist of his work. Joan B Domènech believes that many more things can be said with silences than with words. "That is why plastic art is a refuge for me. Words and music are important, but I need to explain more things. With plastic art I can better reach my inner concerns." When Domènech sees that what he captures on his plates somehow moves the public, it is when he understands that he has done a work well and that his way of creating art makes sense and helps to understand, even, what we do not know how to express. .
