Geometric Obsession...

5:00 a.m.

01/02/16 - Aldo Rubino, founder of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires (MACBA), is a tireless enthusiast of geometric abstraction, something clearly stated in the new exhibition he has recently opened.
"Geometric Obsession - The American School1965-2015" is a tour through the American geometric abstract art of the past fifty years. The exhibition, that fits perfectly into the museum's space and even enhances its beauty, displays a group of works of pure and hard geometry. The curatorial aim was to examine the evolution of the movement. Most pieces belong to the museum's permanent collection, which includes works of optic art, hard edges, color fields, concrete art, constructivism and minimalism.

Among the artists showcased, it's interesting to see Josef Albers (Germany, 1888-1976), who emigrated to the US and painted squares inside other squares, from an optical point of view, with hard borders, an experimentation that came from the studies of color theory. 
Study for Homage to Square: Hard, Softer, Soft Edge, by Joseph Albers (1964)
oil on masonite

The exhibition is divided into different areas. In Minimal-Light & Space you'll find a painting by Donald Judd, of simple geometry and repetition, which seeks the viewing experience of visitors in the perception of the artistic phenomenon.
Untitled, by Donald Judd (1968)

Technique: acrylic on wood / Measures: 52.7 x 42.5 x 5.1cm

The Color Schools section groups the artists performing the coloring technique by the 50s and 60s. Huge canvases with entire color areas or blocks with little contrast.
Untitled (Paris Series), by Neil Williams (1965)

Technique: fluorescent oil on canvas / Measures: 243.8 x 243.8 cm
Quaminis, by Larry Zox (1968)

Technique: acrylic and epoxy on canvas

The section Op Art presents Julian Stanczak as main example of this movement that uses geometric shapes to create subtle, shocking or disorienting optic effects. 
Linear Transit, by Julian Stanczak (1967)
Technique: acrylic on canvas / Measures: 102,2 x 82 cm    
Untitled, by Rakuko Naito (1964)

Technique: oil on canvas
Small Bloc #2, by Edwin Mieczkowski (1966)

Technique: acrylic on masonite / Measures: 61 x 61 cm

The last section is dedicated to the New Trends with works of 21st Century neo-geo (neoconceptual geometry). This term was used to describe the work of artists influenced by French philosopher Jean Baudrillard: a criticism to the mechanization and trading of the world.
Chapter 12: iamb (red screen), by Rebecca Quaytman (2008)

Technique: serigraphy and cast on wood (detail)
Red Painting, by Rusie Rosman (2010)

Technique: acrylic on canvas

This is a historical exhibition to truly appreciate and understand geometric abstraction in all its extension.


Keep reading... "Geometric Obsession, American School 1965-2015", exhibition catalogue. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires, October 2015.

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Contents

Liliana Wrobel


Production & Translation

Carla Mitrani

Contact

ObrasMNBA@gmail.com