16. Ocaña

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16. Ocaña

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José Pérez Ocaña was born in Cantillana (Seville) in 1949. A multidisciplinary artist, he developed his artistic life in Barcelona, being recognized for his activism in favor of freedom during the years of Franco's repression, for his anarchist ideological position, and his queer aesthetics.

He is considered a standard bearer of Andalusian folklore and popular culture, which had been so present since his emigration to Catalonia in the 60s and 70s. This piece, entitled Old woman sitting at the window is one of the last paintings he painted before his sudden death at the age of 36. Ocaña depicts an interior genre scene, where a woman appears seated on a fragile-looking chair, in an environment invaded by a wide range of bright colors. The green tones seem to permeate the figure of the woman through the light coming from the grove of trees behind the window, as well as the wall behind her.

The woman's gaze and body posture convey melancholy. The perspective of the chair with respect to the space is forced, providing greater drama, something that contrasts with the brightness of this composition's colors.