‘Xingú’ is a dynamic and kaleidoscopic painting that draws visual references from Luiz Zerbini's trip to Xingú Indigenous Park, a nature reserve in the centre of Brazil. In recent works, the artist has implemented the structure of the grid to investigate the relationship between colour, light and movement.
Zerbini's application of colour in the painting is complex. Whilst the artist's use of dark green symbolises the area's lush vegetation, flashes of lighter blue recreate the appearance of dappled light piercing through the forest treetops. Applied with the back of a palette knife, areas of brown paint also recall the texture of tree bark. Additionally, his application of ochre and red perhaps alludes to the body paint adopted by members of the Xingú tribe native to this part of Brazil.
The rhythmic nature of the work's formal composition reflects the movement of the River Xingú, a large tributary that runs through this area of Brazil before joining the Amazon delta. Sweeping curves snake from top to bottom, evoking the sensation of rushing water and lending this painting a striking sense of movement and energy.
