JOSE DÁVILA

State of Rest is a parenthesis to contemplate the never-ending struggle against gravity. It is a moment of force balance, a moment of suspension that makes possible to appreciate the politics of equilibrium. Emerging from an interest about a physical phenomenon, Dávila keeps free-fall in tension in order to rescue the aesthetic quali- ties of structural engineering. For State of Rest, the artist challenges the functionalist appreciation of physics to ponder the structure as an artistic composition.

In the series of sculptures, the gravitational field seizes the weight of marble to find an opposite force. The line extending along the surface is capable to balance the sustained weight. It also appears as the gesture of draw- ing the stability of the structure. Hence, the belt can be perceived as a stroke, recalling Barnett Newman’s paint- ings and Kandinsky’s description of the line as an invisible entity. Understanding the line as a point in movement on a plane, we can consider the center of gravity to extend along the line. Consequently, the result is a composi- tion in tension; whose aesthetic and mechanical implications suggest a lyrical harmony.

On several occasions, Dávila’s work has indicated different fundamental principles of architecture and construc- tion. These sculptures can be referred to by the efficiency of the structure, the way they appeal to the balance of vertical composition and as a declaration about weight and gravity. However, the success of State of Rest is being a catalyst for an aesthetic exercise with elements from drawing and sculpture.