The word “essay” stems from the French essayer, which means “to try”. Essays are poetic touchstones on a given subject, with personal ideas and reflections. They feature the subjective study of a topic, devoid of any need for empirical evidence. As opposed to scientific study, based on data and evidence, the essay prioritises individual perspective and expression. It provides room for creative freedom where the author can digress, raise questions and come up with new paths of thought.

The exhibition Essay, by German artist Julius Heinemman, was inspired by this notion. Along the Jahn und Jahn walls, the artist presents his world view in 64 watercolours made over two years. The intimately-formatted works depict different motifs, ranging from landscapes and fragments of domestic environments to mundane items. They are subtle and delicate visual essays based on the use of the watercolour technique to explore light, its layers and depths.

The first room’s watercolours illustrate more tangible motifs. This constellation of images includes references to the human figure in silhouettes, hands and faces, or spectacles perched on the void; it also includes the domestic aspect in vases, cups and windows, similar to Giorgio Morandi’s watercolours. They are peaceful images offering a glimpse of everyday life, collecting suspended moments from it.

The room connecting to the hallway shows variations of the same bucolic landscape, at times marked by the sun, at others by the moon. These two celestial elements represent the core of the composition, night and day, hot and cold. The contrasts give rise to horizons that separate the sky from the ocean and bring them together.

The abstraction builds with each group of works, while in the last room the watercolours stand out for their geometric structure. The result of observing empty gaps are light trails delimiting the edges of each place. This perception of emptiness gives rise to compositions that seem to chart the journey of light through space.

Notwithstanding the peacefulness of each watercolour, the repeating motifs, although varied, reveal the urgency to imprint the gesture on the paper. Asked about his process, Julius told me that his intuition guides him, and that he is constantly vigilant. Just like someone who picks up a camera to snap a fleeting moment, Julius is also guided by light to pinpoint what he sees. Light as a constantly changing element, changing colour and intensity as the sun moves through the sky. The images he paints thus reflect ephemeral phenomena ingrained in the way he sees the world. Repetition occurs because some images call for deeper exploration, leading to watercolours that explore the same idea but look at it from a different angle or time.

Essay is a testament to the fleeting nature of light and time, examining a specific kind of light: the one shining through windows, illuminating the inner corners of spaces and the objects within them. This is a visual meditation on the subtleties of light and form.

Alongside Essay, another exhibition by Julius Heinemann is taking place at Casa da Cerca in Almada, featuring the site-specific installation O Espelho, held outside the building, now undergoing renovation. In the artist’s words, “while the Jahn und Jahn exhibition is a musing on subjectivity and the view of the outside world, the Casa da Cerca installation reflects in the opposite direction: a projection from the inside to the outside.”

Essay by Julius Heinemman is at Jahn und Jahn until June 29, 2024.