Expanse
signed and dated 2004 (lower left)
acrylic on acid-free 300gsm paper
15 1/2" x 22" (39 cm x 56 cm)

PROVENANCE Private Collection, Manila


Augusto “Gus” Albor is a master of direct, expressive restraint. Minimal in approach, his oeuvres reveal enigmatic and meditative qualities, making one absorbed in its intrinsic simplicity. Albor’s minimalist abstract expressionism does not overwhelm his viewers with loud colors and dissonant lines, and his aesthetic speaks volumes to viewers who seek a calm, serene rendering of raw visual elements. True to his artistic style, Albor’s compositions exhibit minimalism and the dominant use of his signature colors: black, white, and gray – each possessing a significant meaning. In this 2004 piece titled Expanse, a mystifying amorphous shape forming inside the void is contained in a white-outlined rectangle. However, both the glowing f igure and its cage are actually within a bigger and thicker rectangle, as if to ensure the prevention of its expansion. (P.I.R.)