Diego Sanchez. (Colombia, B. 1963). "Water Tower No. 8". 2011
Oil and resin on panel. Dimensions: 48" x 36" (121.9cm x 91.4 cm)

"Water Tower No. 8" is a visually celebratory and vivid large-scale oil and resin painting on panel by internationally recognized Colombian-born artist, Diego Sanchez. This bold mixed media work is a dynamic example of Sanchez's focus on color and composition, as well as theme, and is an exciting example of why he is globally renowned for the unique nature of his work, that all reference his Latin American heritage and culture in some manner. Here, a white water tower, typical of any large city is both the subject of veneration as well as deconstruction. By applying a grid-like pattern to the work of intersecting black lines that dissect the negative space into rectilinear and triangular shapes and 'blocking' the object out with demarcated areas of enlarged details painted in neon colors, Sanchez makes this work an exercise in geometry as much as in representation. His most iconic works belong to his"Water Tower" Series of paintings that combine said representational and formal elements, that work and interact together with equal importance in the picture plane. Sanchez's complex paintings consider a selective inventory of iconic objects from the history of civilization through the modern era. A water tower, a vase, a canoe, a chair, may be presented all with equal, central focus, and assume a kind of parity. In establishing his vibrant palette, Sanchez constructs a definite color key, allowing it to take its own place in his narrative.

Sanchez received both his MFA and BFA in Painting and Printmaking from the prestigious Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, US. He is internationally collected by top Private and Corporate Collections including The Sidney and Frances Lewis Collection, Media General, First Market Bank, Capital One Bank, The Markel Corporation, Phillip Morris, and The Federal Reserve Bank, amongst many others. The artist lives and works in Virginia, US.