Hamilton Aguiar - Optical - Tara's Picks
1/22/2021
Hamilton Aguiar - Optical Series - Tara's Picks
"Hamilton’s use of silver leaf has always been intriguing to me. In his latest series, Optical, he does oil washes layered with the perfect amount of silky hair like texture. The result is something I have never seen before. The painting appears to be 3D as light radiates off the canvas. On top of that, there is this subtle movement in the piece that evolves as you view it from different angles. It is a monochromatic painting that invites the viewer to enter into into it’s depths and get lost in it’s beauty.
I envision Optic 20111 in a modern home with plenty of glass, steel and concrete. At first glance this is a painting that appears to be minimalistic, however, it quickly consumes the viewer. "
- Tara Ryan, Art Consultant
I want to show the beauty in its purity through my art: the beauty seen on the light hidden in the purest things of life; and by looking at my art you will understand that all you need in life is to look at the simple things with your heart and see the beauty of its light”
by Hamilton Aguiar
Optical 20111
Oil on panel
36 x 80 x 2 in
Optical 20157
Oil on panel
46 x 35 x 2 in
Optical 20158
Oil on panel
46 x 35 x 2 in
Hamilton Aguiar (1965) was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In 1987, he moved to the United States to pursue his passion for art. During his many years of studying art and working in art restoration, Aguiar began to explore various painting techniques.
His current series of paintings reaches a new and unique level. Aguiar applies silver leaf over the entire background of his linen canvases and then creates washes and shadows with oil paint. The images radiate a dramatic light due to the interaction between the richness of the oils and the mercurial nature of the silver.
The composition of his paintings is inspired by the changing seasons of natural landscapes which are interpreted in a powerfully monochromatic content. Already acquired by numerous private collectors and represented by many prestigious galleries across the United States, and now in Canada, Hamilton Aguiar's art has received well deserved international recognition.