"THE PURSUIT OF LIFE AND RECOVERY IN THE WORK OF CARLOS DÍAZ" by Josep M. Cadena. (2014)

Carlos Díaz's paintings (Barcelona, 1968) reflect the striving for survival and overcoming adversity faced by human society in an environment where obstacles to progress seem to never cease. His art predates the challenging times we are currently experiencing, but it unmistakably highlights the fact that society now more than ever needs to find new motivations that enable it to continue moving forward.

In 1997, within a book dedicated to contemporary Catalan landscape art, I wrote in praise of this painter. Now, despite the considerable time that has passed and the necessity to reevaluate judgments as individuals evolve, I find that one of the paragraphs from that earlier text is still perfectly applicable. Please forgive the self-reference, but I must continue to say that Carlos Díaz's landscapes are an inspiration for hope because, despite the sadness that some of them convey, they manifest the zest for life of citizens who, even without being explicitly depicted, are present and behave like plants and flowers: holding onto what they have and believing that bad days pass for everyone, and when good days come, they will favor those who know how to wait. Then closed doors will open on their own, and a revitalizing air will enter through them.

The realism offered by this artist is born from his attentive and loving gaze, rooted in the hope that arises from the light that, even in the simplest and humblest places, fosters belief in a brighter future. The spaces and locations described by Carlos are real and often have an evident dramatic essence. However, the artist knows how to infuse them with a sense of progress, and this is what is transcendent for him, for art, and for our society.