Y oung, emerging artist, Rafa Macarrón, has caught the attention of the international art world with his dazzling dreamscapes of uncanny cartoon-like characters, executed in his signature ebullient palette of luminous, neon hues. Rutina Fluor (2019), exhibited at his solo exhibition at the Allouche Gallery in New York, Fluorescent Routine (September - October 2019), typifies the artist’s surprising imagery that enthralls the viewer with its complex, composite parts. Celebrating the everyday, Fluorescent Routine captures the excitement of ordinary life and reveals a different way of looking at one’s daily routine. In this series, the artist depicts various everyday objects and activities, such as blow drying one’s hair, waiting for a bus and playing in a park, as represented in Rutina Fluor.

Rutina Fluor is a playful embodiment of the title of the exhibition “Fluorescent Routine”, in both the fluorescent orange that emanates from the background, and in the meaning of the Spanish word “rutina” which translates to “routine”. Macarrón is inspired by an array of different influences, including comic strips, the forms of French painter and sculptor Jean Dubuffet, and the work of Surrealist artist Roberto Matta, all of which are illustrated in works such as Rutina Fluor. Perched above rolling hills evocative of the grassy floor of a park, two bespectacled characters face one-another, reaching out across the central divide, multi-fingered hands outstretched. A mysterious smaller figure floats amongst the clouds, cigarette hanging precariously from its mouth. Macarrón marvellously crafts a rich patchwork of colour and pattern, hinting at darker themes despite the apparent child-like imagery.

This year the artist has been the subject of two milestone exhibitions; Fifteen at the Contemporary Art Center (CAC) of Malaga between 26 March and 6 June 2021, which featured fifteen works in a variety of media including canvas, sculpture and drawings; and El Bañista at the Fundación La Nave Salinas in Ibiza between July and October, highlighting the artist’s brilliant figurative paintings, portraits, landscapes and everyday scenes. Having previously been honoured with numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world, including at the Universidad de Puebla, Mexico; Museo DA2, Salamanca; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Alicante; and the Allouche Gallery, New York, Macarrón is an exciting new artist to watch. The second work ever to be offered at auction, Rutina Fluor is a prime example of Macarrón’s work, from his widely acclaimed Fluorescent Routine series.

年 輕藝術新秀拉法・馬卡龍筆下的異想世界佈滿趣怪人物、繽紛活潑，畫中的霓虹色調光彩耀眼，展現馬卡龍的代表性奔放用色風格，使他在國際藝壇上一鳴驚人。《氟日常》（2019年作）曾於紐約阿盧什畫廊的馬卡龍個展「氟日常」（Fluorescent Routine，2019年9月至10月）上展出，畫中的構圖豐富而繁雜，佈滿天馬行空的圖案，吸引著觀者的視線。馬卡龍的「氟日常」系列以日常場景和各式日用品為主題，將生活中一幕幕逗趣的小劇場呈現紙上，如吹頭髮、等巴士，或如本作所示——在公園玩耍的場景等，讓觀眾以一個嶄新的視角感受生活，彰顯平凡的日常之美。

本作的標題《氟日常》（Rutina Fluor）饒有趣味地呼應了展覽的名稱「氟日常」（Fluorescent Routine）。此畫的背景呈熒光橙色，標題上的「Rutina」是西班牙語，意即「日常」（routine）。馬卡龍的作品靈感來源豐富，包括連環漫畫、法國畫家兼雕塑家尚・杜布菲的抽象形構，以及超現實主義藝術家羅貝托・馬塔的作品，這些元素在本作上一一可見。畫中有兩名面對面站立的人物，他們的面上架著兩副大眼鏡，手指奇多，正張大手掌、向畫面中央的分界線伸長手臂。兩人腳下的翠綠山巒起伏不平，映射公園的草地；半空中還漂浮著一名體型較小的神秘人物，他的嘴裡叼著一根香煙，那根煙像是隨時要掉下來。驟眼看去，這些圖案充滿童稚色彩，同時蘊涵隱秘寓意，交織出一片光怪陸離、五彩繽紛的紛繁世界。

馬卡龍曾獲邀參與多間國際藝術機構舉辦的個展及群展，包括墨西哥普埃布拉大學、薩拉曼卡DA2當代美術館、阿利坎特當代藝術博物館和紐約阿盧什畫廊，未來佳績可期。本作是馬卡龍第二件登上拍場的作品，屬其備受推崇的「氟日常」系列的卓越典例。