The first issue of Thoughts on a Thought focuses on Isometric, a concept that has been central to David’s practice throughout his career. This brief insight runs through how he has used isometry on a formal and conceptual level while developing his artistic language.
Geometry has long been a source of fascination for humans, providing a fundamental framework for understanding the world we live in. It has shaped our approach to solving problems in design, engineering, science and art amongst others, playing a crucial role in both conceptual and practical realms.
Geometric thinking is not only a technical means in David’s work, it is also a conceptual tool which he employs to explore shape, colour, perception, memory, time and individuality. Additionally, it also functions as a “neutral” language which transcends cultural and individual interpretations, while inviting individual response and universal recognition.
David has repeatedly returned to isometric concepts as a source of analysis, questioning and research for his practice. By employing geometric forms and structures, Magán explores ideas about order and chaos, clarity and distortion, and the relationship between the viewer and the artwork. Geometry becomes a way of examining both the material world and the subjective experience of it, allowing him to create works that are both intellectually stimulating and visually engaging.
In his practice, David uses isometric projection as a tool for exploring how we perceive and understand space, structure, and form. It offers a distinctive approach to presenting three-dimensional objects, while circumventing traditional perspective rules and allows engagement with ideas about order, memory, and ambiguity. The precision and clarity of isometric geometry in contrast with its inherent flatness, prompts the viewer to question their assumptions about space, depth, and the nature of reality itself. Magán employs isometric geometry to shape the tension between the rational and the subjective, offering an innovative lens through which to explore complex conceptual themes.
The use of light and colour aligned with principles of isometry creates compelling interactions between form, space and perspective; this, coupled with the viewer’s shifting angle, are a hallmark of his work.
In his isometric series, uniformity and symmetry are in harmony with mathematical calculation. The interplay of changing light and the spectator’s viewpoint, introduce a transformative element, while isometry perpetuates distance and shape. By working with transparency and overlapping layers, the artist creates a visual effect that seems to distort the inherent properties of his forms. This transparency allows viewers to perceive multiple overlapping geometric shapes simultaneously, where proportions and relationships, nevertheless, remain constant.
His use of colour highlights the intersections of geometric shapes and creates a spectrum of hues that emphasise spatial relationships. This aligns with isometric principles, which focus on spatial preservation and proportional integrity. The human eye alternates between the pictorial reading of the work and and the three-dimensional reading of isometric perspective.
“I search for complexity from simplicity. That is why I reduce my alphabet to simple geometric shapes and primary colours. I try to create sculptures that, on a first reading, seem complex, with a wide range of colours, sometimes projecting the ephemeral in a pictorial way, but on a deeper reading, a logical and simple order is revealed.”
— David Magán