FUEGO Y AGUA: Cadogan Contemporary

MARIA LUISA HERNANDEZ FIRE AND WATER

According to Aristotelian belief, the four elements, earth, air, water and fire made up all matter, both in human life and in the universe. If they were balanced there was harmony, if not chaos could ensue. In these atmospheric paintings Maria Luisa Hernandez reveals a unique gift for capturing the many moods of the ocean. She conveys with skilful brush strokes the movements of the waves and the tides, the winds and the currents, which can also clash in a tumultuous, cataclysmic motion. Sometimes this is nature captured on canvas at its most chaotic, wild, untrammelled forces are at work when air and water are opposed, as we see in the ferocious tempests portrayed in some of her works.

There is also fire where her mastery of light and colour creates a glorious glow, inspired by Turner. She was fascinated by the sea as a child when her affinity for the environment began. She sees her work as both spiritual and mystical, and she invites others to share her vision which has an emotional connection with nature and with landscape. If earth appears, it is on the periphery because her paintings reflect the fact that most of the area of the world is dominated by water.

The way she conveys the miracle of creation is truly remarkable. The scale of her canvasses is appropriately large and it is awesome to see so many memorable moods of the natural world captured on them with such passion and beauty.

Richard Fitzwilliams Art Critic