In this post I will be showcasing 3 well known and 2 not so well known Venezuelan artists. They have all developed successful careers in painting and sculpture as well as pioneered new genres that involved less conventional art-making methods and materials.
JESUS SOTO
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Cercle bleu dans le carré
2000
63 x 62 x 17 cm (photo Béatrice Hatala) |
Jesús Rafael Soto was born on June 5, 1923 in Ciudad
Bolívar, Venezuela, an old colonial town on the edge of the virgin forest on
the banks of the Orinoco.
"Until I arrived in Europe my work was above all
investigative: finding new possibilities, getting to grips with what modern
painting was about at the time to see if I could add anything to it."
He was the eldest son of Emma Soto and Luis García Parra,
a violin player, who were to have four other children.
While working to make a contribution to the family's
upkeep, he went to primary school and, when he was about twelve, began to
learn the guitar. It was also at this time that he began to copy
reproductions of paintings he found in magazines, books and almanacs.
At the age of sixteen he became a poster painter for the
movie theaters in Ciudad Bolívar.
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http://www.jr-soto.com/fset_menuprincipal_uk.html
Make sure to visit the 3D Gallery.
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| Blue Penetrable |
CARLOS CRUZ DIEZ:
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Carlos Cruz-Diez's crosswalks in Art Basel Miami Beach
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Carlos Cruz-Diez redesigned painted crosswalks, transforming the social
experience of passersby. By playing with visual rhythms and using the
characteristic line 'structures', this work changes and evolves according to
the path of light and to the spectatorʼs
angle of view and distance."
December 02 - December 05, 2010
Art Basel Miami Beach – Art Public
Convention Center Drive and 17th Street
Miami Beach, Florida
Art Basel Miami Beach – Art Public
Convention Center Drive and 17th Street
Miami Beach, Florida
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| 42-Couleur-Additive-1959-1998 |
I had a chance to see some his work at the Hirshhorn Gallery in DC this spring.. A whole room installation: this is the pic from my visit:
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| At the Hirshhorn. Photography by Elena De La Ville |
GEGO:
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| Gego |
‘Gertrude Goldschmidt (1 August 1912–17 September 1994) also
known as Gego, was a modern Venezuelan artist and sculptor. Gego's most popular
works were produced in the 1960s and 1970s, during the height of popularity of
Geometric abstract art and Kinetic Art. Although these genres influenced her
somewhat, Gego tried to develop her own style and break from the popular art of
Venezuela.’ Wikipedia
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| Reticularia |
Her series of Reticuláreas is
undoubtly her most popular and most talked about group of artworks. Her first
series was created in 1969. Pieces of aluminum and steel were joined together
to create an interweaving of nets and webs that fills the entire room when
exhibited. Her use of repetition and layering in the massive structure causes
the piece to seem endless. Indeed, Gego's attention to line and space creates a
beautiful artwork for the viewer. Since her death, the permanent collection of
Reticuláreas is in the Galeria de Arte
Nacional in Caracas, Venezuela.[
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| Reticularia |
ANNABELL VILLET
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| Show Invitation |
I just ran into the work of this artist last week and have been trying to
find out more. Her installation is now showing in Caracas and has certainly piqued
my interest.
She is currently showing at Centro de Arte Los Galpones, Caracas
She is currently showing at Centro de Arte Los Galpones, Caracas
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La Ventana: Lo que no pesa |
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| Detail, Lo que no pesa |
Another link to her work:
Hope to find out more about her, will let you know.
VIOLETTE BULE
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| Topless Matisse protest |
Early one recent morning more than a dozen women wearing
nothing but red genie pants gathered at the doors of the institution from where
Henri Matisse's Odalisque in Red Trousers went missing, to ask for the prompt
return of the painting they were emulating.
The women were photographed by the Venezuelan artist
Violette Bule in poses reminiscent of the 1925 post-impressionist work that was
replaced with a fake over a decade ago.
"My main goal is to have the original returned but I
also want to call attention to the irony behind the way the art market
works," said Bule
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