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Lot Essay
Highly acclaimed artist Benedicto Cabrera - or better known as Bencab - is most acclaimed for his human figures clad in distinctive folds of draped clothing. Excelling in capturing the swirl of fabric and its natural fluid grace when cast in dynamic motion, the artist frequently depicts his subjects in varied positions so as to best explore the myriad possibilities of this expressive motif.
Cid Reyes comments: "The impetus for Bencab's interest in drapery is the same as classical Greek sculptors - movement. With drapery clinging to the human body, and the propulsion induced by the body that has now been "stilled" in three-dimensional form, the viewer's eye follows the direction impelled by gesture or wind. In short, drapery becomes an instrument of energy."
Dancing at Rock Session (Lot 129) is part of Bencab's group of works on individuals caught in the momentum of dance. It eloquently expresses his preoccupation with drapery and movement, but also captures a sense of impassioned zeal for life, seen through the flailing limbs and wind-tossed hair, as the dancers abandon themselves to the rhythm of the music. In particular, Dancing at Rock Session is about the energy between two people, lovers, as they immerse themselves in the dance and each other. Caught in the moment, they are youthful, graceful, and deeply sensual. Reyes also observes: "Here bodies are whipped into a frenzied swinging, whirling to the infectious delirium of disco music in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These [dance] works convey the spirit of dance in Western and Indian art, depicting a joyful dazzle of bodies in movement but arrested in two-dimension."
In Dancing at Rock Session, the undulating flow of the girl's dress is representative of Bencab's style of portraying draped fabric. Face pressed to the shoulder of her partner, her eyes are closed as she intuitively reacts to the music. However even with his back facing the viewer, in the flare of the man's jeans, the airy quality of his shirt and the contours of his hips, we can also clearly observe Bencab's skill at simulating gesture within a few well-placed lines. Dancing at Rock Session is an energetic, optimistic work, conveying the emotions of being young and in love, where all things are possible. It masterfully captures the dominant aesthetic of the artist and also the unquenchable spirit and vigor of the rock and roll era.
Cid Reyes comments: "The impetus for Bencab's interest in drapery is the same as classical Greek sculptors - movement. With drapery clinging to the human body, and the propulsion induced by the body that has now been "stilled" in three-dimensional form, the viewer's eye follows the direction impelled by gesture or wind. In short, drapery becomes an instrument of energy."
Dancing at Rock Session (Lot 129) is part of Bencab's group of works on individuals caught in the momentum of dance. It eloquently expresses his preoccupation with drapery and movement, but also captures a sense of impassioned zeal for life, seen through the flailing limbs and wind-tossed hair, as the dancers abandon themselves to the rhythm of the music. In particular, Dancing at Rock Session is about the energy between two people, lovers, as they immerse themselves in the dance and each other. Caught in the moment, they are youthful, graceful, and deeply sensual. Reyes also observes: "Here bodies are whipped into a frenzied swinging, whirling to the infectious delirium of disco music in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These [dance] works convey the spirit of dance in Western and Indian art, depicting a joyful dazzle of bodies in movement but arrested in two-dimension."
In Dancing at Rock Session, the undulating flow of the girl's dress is representative of Bencab's style of portraying draped fabric. Face pressed to the shoulder of her partner, her eyes are closed as she intuitively reacts to the music. However even with his back facing the viewer, in the flare of the man's jeans, the airy quality of his shirt and the contours of his hips, we can also clearly observe Bencab's skill at simulating gesture within a few well-placed lines. Dancing at Rock Session is an energetic, optimistic work, conveying the emotions of being young and in love, where all things are possible. It masterfully captures the dominant aesthetic of the artist and also the unquenchable spirit and vigor of the rock and roll era.