From Sept 5th through Oct 3rd, 2009.
Flying was a dream and an obsession for centuries until the airplane was invented. Although now we are able to fly assisted by mechanical devices, we still look at birds in a mix of wonder and envy. As a result wings are seen as the means of transforming, and flying as the ultimate metaphor of freedom, the image of total liberation.
There any many examples of artists who have been inspired by the act of flying. Here we have two contemporary Cuban artists whose works are connected to this idea: Gustavo Acosta is using it as a resource for his paintings and Carlos is more interested in the actual possibility of flying, translating this interest to his sculptures.
The Great Systems- Gustavo Acosta
The idea of being constantly watched drove him to paint what seem like views seen through night vision goggles. These images looked like they were made by somebody who went around while everybody was sleeping and registered what he saw. While experimenting in this direction Gustavo started to play with the color green and the infinite possibilities that it offered. This led him to use the color as a filter, as if he was permanently looking at his surroundings through a green glass. The result is these group of paintings in which he has ‘softened’ the color in a more even tone, getting farther away from the goggles effect and giving the impression of an image captured when the light had a rare diffusion.
On the other hand in the series Secret codes the works of Gustavo are exploring night views in which he shows us how cities are mapped out by their lights reflected against the dark background of a starry night, almost like electric Nazca lines. There is a sense of abstraction with pure color points made of light dots, the pitch black background emphasizing the emptiness between the ground and the air.
Flights of Fancy- Carlos Gonzalez
In this new group of sculptures Carlos Gonzalez continues exploring the natural world yet with a clear departure from his last solo exhibition a couple of years ago. His hard angular forms have dissipated giving space to more organic and voluptuous pieces. While the previous works reminded us of insects, these new ones are inspired by birds and connected elements such as seeds and flowers. Carlos keeps looking at nature for inspiration and these pieces are his very personal interpretations of it. Seemingly mimicking wings and plants he is bringing to light the overlapping of nature, science and flying devices that seem ready to take off. While the works looks like mechanical artifacts, there is still the poetry of nature. The monumentality of his work is balanced by the delicacy and intricacy of each piece, part of a complicated yet delicate oeuvre.
Panamerican Art Projects
2450 NW 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33127
305.573.2400
www.panamericanart.com
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