Categories:
Showcasing the
Museum’s significant collection of 20th-century Latin American art, this
exhibition examines the multifaceted art produced in Latin America during this
dynamic 60-year period. The presentation features a diverse selection of more
than 70 paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and photography from the
permanent collection and several private collections that explore the mythic
and material worlds. Myth and materiality are concepts prevalent throughout the
exhibition, providing platforms to consider works on both individual and
universal levels―from the cosmic realm to the everyday world. Myths
have long served as powerful forces in Latin American art, giving visual form
to political and religious ideologies, as well as deeply personal narratives.
As opposed to intangible myths, materiality refers to that which constitutes
the matter or material of something, or its material existence. It addresses
not only the physical composition of the works considered, but also the past
and present realities in which they exist. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Works combining
elements of myth and materiality include Composition (1932) by pioneering
abstract artist Joaquín Torres-García (Uruguayan, 1879-1949), known for his
theory of Constructive Universalism, which is based on the idea that everyday
symbols could be understood by all. His paintings feature a grid-like
composition filled with pictographs drawn from ancient and modern cultures.
Moreover, works presented in the exhibition are united by the experimental and
innovative use of materials as seen in David Alfaro Siqueiros’s application of
pyroxilin automotive lacquer, Alfredo Ramos Martinez’s paintings on newsprint,
Carlos Cruz-Diez’s optical paintings striped with plastic slats, and Mathias
Goeritz’s golden nails.
Various Artists
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
