Jorge Castillo

JORGE CASTILLO CASALDERREY (Pontevedra, 1933).
“Ruth, the Musical Bird,” 1987.
Acrylic on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner. Signed and dated on the reverse.
Measurements: 65.5 x 54.5 cm
Jorge Castillo Casalderrey transforms the traditional still-life genre into a scene with psychological and poetic resonances. On a barely defined table are arranged fruits, branches, and a hybrid figure that oscillates between bird and human presence, while in the background a female silhouette emerges from behind. Far from a descriptive representation, the composition is constructed as a mental space where the objects seem to act as symbols of an intimate and indecipherable narrative. The suspended atmosphere, the earthy and greenish tones, and the fragmentation of the planes turn the scene into a sort of visual enigma that invites contemplation rather than a definitive interpretation.
The work belongs to a mature period in the career of Jorge Castillo Casalderrey, a Galician artist of international renown whose career unfolded across Argentina, Spain, Europe, and New York. Initially trained in Buenos Aires and later connected to some of the major circuits of international contemporary art, Castillo constructed a universe of his own where figuration, abstraction, drawing, and a constant exploration of the unconscious converge. His work is characterized by the presence of enigmatic figures, fragmented compositions, and a personal iconography rooted in surrealism, though it evolved into an increasingly free and autonomous language.