Mirages #4, 2020

Javier Rey   Emerging artists

Mirages #4 by Javier Rey  Archival pigment print 

Medium size: 75 cm H x 55 cm W.  Edition 2/5 + 1AP 

More Editions & Sizes: Small: 55 cm H x 40 cm W.  Edition 2/7 + 2AP Large: 123.5 cm H x 90 cm W.  Edition of 2 + 1AP Unframed 

This surreal artwork features a striking architectural illusion—a towering structure ascending into the sky with an impossible staircase. Starting from a sleek, reflective skyscraper, the staircase twists and extends into the blue expanse, defying gravity. At its peak, a small, box-like building perches in stark contrast against the clouds, emphasizing a sense of isolation and ethereality. The artist skillfully merges architectural precision with dreamlike elements, creating a thought-provoking piece that challenges perceptions of space and reality. The cloud-dotted sky serves as a serene backdrop, enhancing the illusion of endless ascent. This artwork captivates by blending realism with fantasy, inviting viewers to explore the boundaries between the physical and the imaginary.

Mirages. The idea of the monumental, utopian and modern city is constantly debated due to its own fragility. The idealization of the city is weak and vulnerable, threatened by the rudeness of its inhabitants. Mirages is a project that interprets this unrealizable idea of the city, creating a route of buildings that seem to float unpolluted, breaking the uniformity of the sky and integrating into it like castles of glass, where contemporary society deposits the idea of unattainable perfection. These crystalline masses reflect the sky as if they were above all things, camouflaging themselves, creating a bridge between the natural and the artificial.