"Initially I found myself drawn to the piece’s ostensibly paradoxical relationship to its title. Smudged borders and zigzagging black lines seem to render the piece in a condition of suspended activity, contrasting the stagnancy I typically associate with ‘Permanent’. Jordi’s own words, however, ‘The permanent side, the one that never disappears and is always present; the one that does not understand any reasons, objectives, guides, criticisms, nor influences, but that respects them all’, seem to reconfigure the definition of ‘permanent’ as a state of constant / continual / ceaseless dynamism and development. The energy emitted by his series ‘The Permanent Side’ is imperative to Jordi’s creative practice. ‘I always needed them [the paintings]... I have turned to them to find peace, to immerse myself in that known sea, which forms part of me, in which I feel comfortable’ frames their function as an architect of artistry. In this way, the series’ title honours the holistic role the pieces pay in Jordi’s wider artistic practice. Exciting equal amounts of comfort for both artist and viewer, Jordi’s suite of paintings held a residency ‘in an essential wall’ of his studio. 

Resisting the urge to immediately dissect the piece, naturally gravitating towards compartmentalisation, I instead appreciated the piece holistically and wholly. Any immensity of the dimensions is negated by the canvas’ rounded corners, softening its measurements and the irregularity of the painting’s quarters corrects the viewer’s assumptions that geometry must equate to uniformity and homogeneity. The tensions between the broader strokes in the lower left and upper right segments are pacified by the most bare upper left portion of the piece. Although the scale and number of circles differs between the upper and lower right section of the canvas, they’re united by their similar splashes of teal. The quarters, although vastly different, seem to me to operate in tandem and the ultimate impression is one of equilibrium and balance. 

Jordi has been represented by the Olivier Cornet Gallery since 2007, an impressive tenure which is bolstered by an education at the Universitat de Barcelona and Goldsmiths University in London. His most recent solo exhibitions include Kisāna (2019) and The Permanent Side (2017), while his group endeavours include On Paper (2021), Resurfacing (2020) and Somewhere Between Perception and Reality (2019)

A constant preoccupation of Jordi’s is the relationship between different materials incorporated in painting. Citing his scientific background as perhaps encouraging this interest, Jordi endeavours to demonstrate affinity where there is seemingly hostility. Jordi tests the limits and potentialities of pigments, gold, resin and palladium, for instance, in his work. To me, Jordi’s work is characterised by experimentation and spirit.