Travel by Motorcycle (Leucadia) / Viaje en Motocicleta (Leucadia)

“Carrillo repeatedly used mirrors to expand his compositions, perhaps in a nod to Velázquez, who in Las Meninas slyly used a mirrored reflection of the Spanish king and queen to help delineate a very complex space. On a much smaller scale, in Travel by Motorcycle (Leucadia), Carrillo depicts a space nearly as complex as that of the Spanish masterpiece. His painting within the painting features a mirrored reflection of the artist, presumably at work on the fictional piece. Further complicating the composition, a frontal view of the Santa Claus statuette magically appears both on the depicted table and- impossibly, magically- in the reflection. The appearance of an impish child in the doorway accentuates the sense of play.”

– Michael Duncan, from the Crocker Catalogue for “Testament of the Spirit”

Photo courtesy of The Crocker Art Museum