Panamerican Art Projects presents Gustavo Acosta and Carlos Gonzˆ°lez

September 12th, 2009. 6:00 p.m.

Left: Gustavo Acosta. The Glass Shield. 2009. Acrylic on canvas. 96" x 64". Right: Carlos Gonzˆ°lez. Finding light. 2009. Stainless steel. 72" x 86" x 80"

Opening Reception: September 12th, 2009. 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Location: Panamerican Art Projects. 2450 NW 2nd Avenue. Miami, FL 33127
Dates: From September 5th through October 3rd, 2009
Admission: Free

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 for freedom, the image of total liberation. In art history there any many examples of artists who have been inspired by the act of flying and as a consequence reflected it on their works.

Here we have two contemporary Cuban artists whose works are connected to this idea: Gustavo 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 this group of paintings in which he has ’Äòsoftened’Äô 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.

Secret codes

In this series of works Gustavo is 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 Gonzˆ°lez’Äôs sculptures

In this new group of sculptures Carlos Gonzˆ°lez 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 look 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.

PanAmericanArtProjects
2450 NW 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33127
Ph: 305.573.2400
Fax: 305.573.0720
miami@panamericanart.com
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