Alfredo Esquillo, Jr.

The work is in good condition overall. There is light wear and handling around the edges of the painting, but only visible upon close observation. Examination under ultraviolet light shows no sign of restoration. Framed, under Plexiglas.
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A scripture tells the tale of Elijah’s vision filled with flood, tremors and fire, followed by a fateful voice or a ‘gentle whisper’ commonly described as ‘small and still.’ In Whisper to a Scream, Alfredo Esquillo Jr. depicts an invisible subject matter: a furtive whisper is in the midst of being relayed to a listener. The act is similar to a confession, for their exact identities are both unknown. The artist conveys the enormity of the whisper here through the use of a metaphorical syntax.

The clouds on the left panel suggest an ambiguous place somewhere in between the earth and the heaven. Esquillo paints the woman in profile with her hands covering the side of her mouth. She could be the embodiment of a prophet, foretelling a chain of magnificent events. On the right panel, the artist describes the innermost sphere of reception: the ear has been transformed into a winged megaphone surrounded by a bed of flames or forked tongues. These elements have been consistent in Esquillo’s recent works and could be the artist’s way of inferring a deeper vein of consciousness. He investigates the notions of piety and devotion using religious imagery, but the content is not restricted to religion itself. His paintings often evoke powerful emotions that speak to the universal themes of mortality and existence, as well as betrayal and faith.

Whisper to a Scream is executed in a diptych format to emphasize the clear division between internal and external. The work demonstrates Esquillo’s superior painterly technique and also his ability to speak profoundly through the vocabulary of realism and abstract motifs. A whisper in the ear could indeed shatter a silence with tremendous rippling effect.