Lifesize
When Lourdes draws a shadow, she does it in lifesize. If she has to use it for a later work, she presents it like this, whether or not these are painted tiles. The opposite rarely takes place. At the heart of this attitude, the simple gesture of her not wanting to alter the original measurement is full of significance. Indeed, both the amplifying and the reducing of the line which merely displays the outline of a shape may very easily alter or even destroy its expression which is of great intensity, as it depicts the whole shape, but is extremely vulnerable as it shows so little. This gesture translates and introduces, so it appears to me, the essential nature of her making, which a friend, like her removed from tasks, called “dealing with shadows”. A shadow which – due to its objective signification and the projectional nature which is always revealed with a different dimension to that of the body which provokes it – is now a, perhaps unique, real depiction.
Through the simple fact of not altering the original measurement, Lourdes introduces, or stages within the art of depiction of shapes and colours, a process without undertaking, in which respect, which she does not fear, is the response – beyond depiction. This response is deliberately short, the issues are others – because they are always new – the effects almost do not exist. The spectacle is neither of ostentation nor ability but the star. The vestiges of fabrication disappear, and with them vanish the weight of the effort, no matter how much effort there may be, the sacrifice of work, no matter how much work is needed, the grimace of tension, no matter how many difficulties might appear, and the emotion of expectation also disappears because that which matters – depicting – is present. As close as the shadow.
Manuel Zimbro (1999)
In Exhibition catalogue Shadow blue. Tiles by Lourdes Castro held in Casa-Museu Frederico de Freitas (Funchal) with Galeria Ratton production (from October, 1999 to January, 2000)
Courtesy of the artist and Galeria Ratton