ABSCISA ORDENADA, 2024.

SOLO EXHIBITION AT NAC GALLERY

SANTIAGO, CHILE.

OCTOBER 2024

HAND-PAINTED TILES, BALLPOINT PEN ON PAPER, PUMICE STONE GEL, ACRYLIC AND GAC-200.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Galileo Galilei was the first to observe the regularity of a pendulum’s motion, a discovery that led to significant advances in the measurement of time. The pendulum clock became a symbol of scientific progress during the Enlightenment, representing both the order and the fragility of time.

In Abscisa ordenada, Bernardita Bertelsen employs the concept of Cartesian coordinates (abscissa, X-axis — ordinate, Y-axis) as a point of departure from which to explore the oscillation between geometric rigour and organic fluidity, seeking a balance between control and chaos, between structure and unpredictability, the known and the uncertain, finding in each extreme the possibility of exploring the other. In this way, her geometric compositions are never entirely detached from fluidity, just as her more organic gestures retain an echo of precision. The tension generated through this movement creates a dialogue between opposing forces which, through oscillation, gives rise to a constellation of relationships among the elements that compose it.

At first glance, the compositions suggest a rigorous order: precise, almost mathematical forms that may evoke ancient alphabets or conceptual diagrams. Yet beneath this surface of defined lines and figures lies a second layer of unpredictability, manifested through the use of colour and through the choice of glaze as a technique.

Colour acts as a disruptive force interacting with geometry, challenging its rigidity. What is particularly compelling is that this colour cannot always be fully controlled. The glazing process and kiln firing introduce an element of chance that Bertelsen embraces as part of her visual language. What begins as a precise chromatic intention may transform into stains of unexpected tones, introducing a dimension deeply tied to the organic and the ephemeral, in contrast to the rigid structure of the patterns.

In many of her works, colour appears to emerge from beneath the surface, at times flowing or staining it, while in others it is delicately applied in precise forms that contrast with the hardness of the tile. Her palette, dominated by blues, greens and purples, transforms during firing, expanding in unforeseen ways and converting a controlled field of colour into an accidental, almost topographical texture that evokes inner landscapes or emotional maps. This use of colour reflects impermanence, leaving everything at the mercy of fire, which ultimately determines the final form and tonality.

At the same time, the geometric figures suggest a search for order and archetypal symbols. At moments, they recall the work of artists who explored geometry as a gateway to the sacred and the speculative. Triangles, arches and circles appear embedded within an almost symbolic context, resembling an ancestral language. In Abscisa ordenada, however, these forms exist in constant tension with the unpredictable nature of colour and the texture of the surface, challenging the very notion of pure geometry.

In Bertelsen’s work, one perceives a continual reflection on the limits of control and the nature of time. Geometry in her practice functions as a dynamic plane, transformed through each interaction between colour and fire, revealing that it is precisely the fragility of time that allows things to come alive.

Text by Patricio Kind