Then and Now

Cruz Jimenez' Then & Now is concerned with the artist's transformation, drawing from his deeply personal transition from denial to acceptance of his individual identity. Jimenez utilises this rich body of experience to explore notions of the spiritual and metaphysical, using his painterly style to express his conceptual concerns.

Jimenez alludes to his private passions as a young artist – flowers and birds – which run directly counter to the ‘expected’ hobbies and interests of a middle-class teenage boy growing up in California in the 1980s. Ranging from corny phrases to subtly-worded poetry, titles represent expressions of intent; the elements suggested are a starting point and are rarely directly reflected in the elements of the work. The titles of his works – although referring directly to the artist's experiences and thoughts – remain unexplained and open for interpretation.

Then & Now makes exhilarating shifts in palette with careful variations of colour punctuated with blasts of pink, gold and turquoise; however, it is clear that Jimenez’s talent for composition does not rely on colour. Jimenez achieves a great sense of depth and movement through his texturally rich, carefully nuanced backgrounds, vastly varied tonal qualities and lithe brushwork, which create a constantly-shifting picture plane. The weight of these planes, rather than being consistent and static, is distributed throughout the work by sweeping brushstrokes.

Although Jimenez focuses on primarily abstract, metaphysical concepts, these lofty themes are deftly balanced within the work; there is never an overt sense of ideology or pedagogy. Instead, Jimenez allows the formal qualities of his work to express his conceptual concerns organically, inviting interpretation rather than demanding it. Jimenez's abstract lexicon of vague object-forms (such as suggestions of birds or leaves) and rich, mutable colours may imply meaning, but never dictate it.

Ultimately, Jimenez sees his role as an artist as a collector, preserver and transformer of memory, emotion and experience. His works resonate at a physical and spiritual level, richly evocative while remaining universal, unbound by any regionalist cultural concerns. Jimenez’s work may be seen to express a spiritual or psychic landscape, populated by the transitory movements of ideas and memories. The richness and range of his work connotes the workings of the human mind and we can interpret his paintings as subconscious projections of inner states. In this way, the viewer experiences a sense of mystery and a desire to explore the full depths of the image – a desire that is richly rewarded.