by Margaret Failoni

Santiago Corral's invigorating paintings with an expansive body of work that in the perception of light's behavior, pushes the formal and conceptual possibilities of Pop Art, Surrealism, still life and Landscape painting, depicting a surprising cacophony of objects seen in changing light. A true visionary of the real, like an alchemist, combines commonplace objects or scenes into radical, pulsing compositions.

Corral's latest work captures the interaction of light and shadows with vegetation, baroque fabrics, water and snow. He regards light as a life force that moves over and through all beings, animate and inanimate, reflecting this philosophy, creating a family with color and light which in some cases hides the dystopian elements partially hidden by the play of light.

The artist plays with absurdist elements, bringing to the forefront philosophical spectacles and visual poetry in imagined spaces of hidden depth. Architecture and landscape blur into each other, some forming dreamed interiors, pulling the viewer into spacial and psychological scenes which can be immersive and illusive, transforming hybrid surfaces that shimmer and shift with changing light. Therefor we are not surprised to see graffiti decorating the walls of an aristocratic salon, nor does the roaring fire in an ice- and snow-covered space seem unfitting. Lamp light, fire light, moon light, sun light, often all in one painting; It all works because the play of light embraces it all.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the brilliant use of color. There is no doubt whatsoever, that this is a very accomplished artist and perhaps his best tool above all others is his excellent taste.

Santiago Corral lives and works in San Miguel de Allende with frequent travels to Spain, where he will be exhibiting this next Autumn invited by Isolina Arbulu Gallery in Marbella. Catalogs of his former work can be found at the Intersección Gallery.

Much to our surprise, we were contacted by Ena, Yui's widow that three large
paintings which had been sent to Monterrey for an exhibition, had returned so the gallery is able to present them to the public. These three works are part of the last finished paintings before Yui's passing. They are Yui's magical world, his magnificent colors and sense of romance and humor. They will be displayed along with a few smalls works still in the gallery, giving all the collectors who like us, appreciated the unique painting technique and magical story telling of Yui's work to, for a last time have the opportunity to admire and perhaps acquire one of his works.

A catalog raisonné of all of Yui's work is in preparation and should be out towards the end of 2026.

A great sense of humor and intelligence join a rich practice to her craft, making native New Yorker Joan Hall an artist's artist, much admired by colleagues and art institutions alike. Starting at an early age, Hall experimented with what the New York City cultural scene had to offer a growing young talent, and it was a lot, whetting her appetite in community theater, costume and set design before pioneering in collage and assemblage illustrations.

An avid traveler, Hall's curiosity and inquisitive eye have been in the forefront of her work, which has been exhibited in art galleries and museums worldwide including The Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City. She has been commissioned by the United States Cultural Center to lecture, exhibit and conduct workshops in France, India and Brazil and the National Arts Club in New York.

Hall has been coming to Mexico for many years and has a special connection to San Miguel de Allende. So much so that she exhibited a series of collages entitled Parroquian Dreams with San Miguel's Parrish church as the main theme. This series, augmented with additional works, had successfully traveled to Mexico City and New York. A few years later she brought with her the exhibit Fun & Games, a series of embroidered tongue in cheek wall hangings bringing some humor in her embroidered “foot notes” to the dystopian world we are now experiencing.

The latest group of collages gives us once again a declaration of love for San Miguel and Mexico in general with a large, series of romantic collages.

There will be a film and a conference on the artists' work scheduled for a few weeks later. The exact dates will be announced soon. Meanwhile, it is with great pleasure that as a curator, I can receive and work with such exciting art.

Galería Intersección, Fabrica la Aurora, 18-A
415-120-0944, interseccionartsma@gmail.com
www.interseccionart.com

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Margaret Failoni was born in New York City, studied at the School of Industrial Art, one year at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and received a degree in Art History from Hunter College. She flew with PanAm as a flight attendant so as to visit the world's museums and archaeological sites. After a year in Portugal, she quit the airlines and moved to Italy where she worked with art galleries and print publishing companies before opening her own gallery and print publishing company in 1981. Her published prints have been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art prints department.

Marge started with the US Information Agency, curating shows throughout Italy for several years. Once arriving in Mexico in 1993, she curated shows for several provincial museums and is presently the curator for the Interseccion Gallery at the Fabrica Aurora.

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