For his first large outdoor artwork, established American contemporary artist Ricardo Paniagua used Spies Hecker to achieve a visually striking, high-quality and durable finish.

28 JANUARY 2021 – Solar Radiance is the first large-scale outdoor artwork by contemporary artist Ricardo Paniagua, who is based in Dallas, Texas, USA. The modern work resembles a three-dimensional plus sign featuring three distinctive colours that Paniagua created with Spies Hecker refinish paint, one of the global refinish brands of Axalta, a leading supplier of liquid and powder coatings.

Self-taught Paniagua says, “My sculptures, paintings and mixed media works are usually created for indoor environments. This is my first large steel hypercube, which will find its permanent outdoor home in El Paso, Texas, where it will be subjected to extreme environmental conditions such as intense heat and humidity, as well as colder temperatures in winter. It was therefore critical that all the materials I used could withstand the harsh extremes they are exposed to.”

Solar Radiance measures 1.82m in height, width and length, and is constructed from urethane on steel, which gives the base of the structure immense water and weather resistance. “I did careful research and development in my studio, but it quickly became clear that Spies Hecker’s versatile products were perfect for coating this, the first of my fledgling outdoor sculpture collection, as they would give me a wide range of beautiful colours and, crucially, durability,” adds Paniagua.

Solar Radiance is made up from three perfect blends of yellow, turquoise and grey that Paniagua custom-mixed himself. He applied Spies Hecker Permacron® 293 Base Coat, a vehicle refinishing basecoat that is available in regions where VOC legislation does not prohibit its use. In the EU, under current VOC legislation, its use is limited to industrial finishes and other special applications. To give the hypercube its perfect glossy finish, he then used a versatile and weather-resistant VOC compliant high-gloss clear coat, that is not available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

“For my colour choices, I was inspired by Vedic mythology, which has its origins in India,” adds Paniagua. “The vibrant yellow represents Jupiter, while turquoise symbolises the planet Mercury. The dark grey illustrates Ketu, a descending lunar node that is often referred to as the shadow planet. It is important that the colours stand out and Spies Hecker delivered that. Using this easy-to-use paint in an industrial application enabled me to achieve the absolute highest possible standard in hard edge painting.”

Monika Weil, Colour Services Manager for Axalta in EMEA, says, “Bright yellow and turquoise are not necessarily obvious colour choices for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, but the option is there. You only have to take one look at this stunning artwork to see what an impact the right finish can make. We are so pleased to have played a small part in this wonderful work of art and we wish Ricardo well in continuing to build his outdoor sculpture collection. We can’t wait to see what else he might create with Spies Hecker.”

Taking six months to create, Solar Radiance was commissioned by The Canyons at Cimarron in El Paso, a stylish lifestyle hub that combines work, life and pleasure. Solar Radiance will go on permanent, public display as part of The Canyons at Cimarron’s public art programme.

For more information about Ricardo Paniagua, please visit www.ricardopaniagua.art. For more information about Spies Hecker, please visit www.spieshecker.co.za.

About Spies Hecker

Spies Hecker, a global refinish coating brand from Axalta, develops optimum and practical paint system solutions that make bodyshop work easier and more efficient. Originally from Cologne, Germany and with over 135 years of success behind it, Spies Hecker’s high-quality product systems, customised service and tailored training demonstrate its partnership with the refinish industry. The paint brand is one of the world’s leading vehicle refinish brands, and is available in over 75 countries worldwide.

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