Joaquin Valdez
Born:
Country? Spain
WORK IN PROGRESS
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around Joaquin Valdez as an artist. I think first saw his work in a Juxtapoz article around 2024ish. I created a bookmark for him and have come back to his work repeatedly. There are a few artists I’m starting to keep track of, people that have caught my attention and who’s work I want to see evolve over time. I’m going to add Valdez to this list.
The first show of Valdez that I am going to respond to occurred in 2025 at Galeri Christoffere Gelund.
Impressions:
From what I have read, Valdez is basing his images on mostly Architecture Digest interior design photographs. Some of the paintings have the greatest compositions. I would like to see how he is sourcing this composition from the photo… there is a strong desire to see how these compositions are built.
What I am missing:
These are clean paintings. At the level of detail I’m encountering them on, they feel a lot like an Alex Katz artwork. I want to see artifacts of decision making by Valdez on the canvas, I’m not seeing any. This is a big miss for me. Its fine if its invisible, I have to see some artifact of how it was built.
Love Means Nothing - 2025
I like this image.
This also feels like it could be a travel poster and is on the verge of not going beyond that.
Current Opinion:
I like Valdez as an artist. I really engage with his interior design focused paintings. I think it will be very interesting to watch Valdez. He could continue working as he is and has been for the last few years and be just fine. I want to see him push the envelope a little.