In Picador, Canevari captures the spirit and energy of the bullfighting arena with a surreal twist. The sculpture, composed of metal, cardboard, resin, and metallic paint, portrays the picador—a horse-mounted fighter with a long lance—distilled into an abstract form. The wiry, open framework of the horse and rider conveys movement and tension, while the use of red and gold metallic paint heightens the sense of drama and intensity. The picador's lance juts forward aggressively, while the horse's skeletal structure appears light and fragile, adding to the surrealist interpretation of the subject.
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In Picador, Canevari captures the spirit and energy of the bullfighting arena with a surreal twist. The sculpture, composed of metal, cardboard, resin, and metallic paint, portrays the picador—a horse-mounted fighter with a long lance—distilled into an abstract form. The wiry, open framework of the horse and rider conveys movement and tension, while the use of red and gold metallic paint heightens the sense of drama and intensity. The picador's lance juts forward aggressively, while the horse's skeletal structure appears light and fragile, adding to the surrealist interpretation of the subject.
This work bears a resemblance to the surrealist sculpture of Julio González, who also manipulated metal into open, airy forms to convey movement and emotion. However, Canevari's use of industrial materials and the bright, almost celebratory colors give Picador a contemporary feel that contrasts with González's often darker tones. The surreal abstraction of the horse and rider distills the essence of the bullfighting spectacle into a symbolic, dreamlike representation. In Picador, Canevari blends dynamic action with surrealist abstraction, creating a figure that feels simultaneously ancient and modern, suspended in time yet charged with energy.