Insights on Alejandro Puente's art...

4:00 a.m.

Alejandro Puente's (Buenos Aires, 1933-2013) retrospective exhibition, which is currently open at the Espacio de Arte of the Fundación OSDE, is a great chance to see his artistic production throughout 45 years. With no apparent chronological order, the exhibition displays the artist's creative process according to the new ways of understanding art in the 20th century, specially enhancing the role of the viewer and the new visions on regionalism.

As to the role of the viewers, in the 60s and 70s, Puente works with color to generate structures based on perception laws, an approach taken from Gestalt Psychology (German word for shape) about our innate capacity to understand through our vision. But what makes Puente's art outstanding is that he links these concepts with Andean textiles and geometric patterns.

Uncu, by Alejandro Puente (1973)

Technique: acrylic on canvas / Measures: 118 x 110 cm

Puente Family Collection

S/T, de Alejandro Puente (1973) - Detail

Technique: acrylic on paper / Measures: 26 x 58 cm

Puente Family Collection

Intihuasi II, by Alejandro Puente (1973)

Technique: acrylic on canvas / Measures: 80 x 120 cm

Loan - MNBA Collection

Killakas, de Alejandro Puente (1986)

Technique: acrylic on canvas / Measures: 135 x 195 cm

Loan - MNBA Collection

However, towards the end of the 20th century, he becomes more interested in the concept of space, which he blends with his other interests (perception and Andean drawings), thus obtaining a very particular type of abstract artwork, intimately related to Pre-Colombian architecture.