In Take a Moment, Ricky Francisco returns to the sky as a source of reassurance. His previous
exhibition, A Piece of Sky, explored the possibility of reclaiming a measure of peace amid
uncertainty. This new body of work continues that search through a childhood experience:
watching a sunrise or sunset and feeling small before its immensity, yet personally cared for by
God. The distant horizon offered a sense of belonging. There was a place for him within creation.
That memory finds expression in paintings where color carries much of the feeling. A narrow line
crosses a field of color. Above it, yellow softens into pink, blue opens into pale light, or lavender
seems to hold the last brightness of the day. We recognize something of a landscape, although
there are few details to tell us where we are. A repeated horizontal structure allows us to notice
differences in temperature, weight, and atmosphere. Each painting asks for its own pace of
looking. The paintings give us room to remember our own silent moments, our pauses to just be.
Up close, their apparent lightness becomes more physical. Acrylic, modeling paste, and, in some
works, plaster give the canvas ridges and uneven passages that catch the light. The surface holds
traces of making. Against these irregularities, the narrow colored bands establish a measured
rhythm. Our attention moves between the distance suggested by the color and the material
immediately before us.
The invitation of Take a Moment is modest enough to act upon. Stay with a color. Notice how a line
changes the space around it. Move closer and see where the surface catches the light. In a day
crowded with demands on our attention, these paintings offer somewhere to pause—and perhaps
recover the feeling of having a place in the world.
Notes by Ricky Francisco
