- Details
- Written by Alejandra de Argos
This stunning retrospective of John McCracken (1934-2011) consists of approximately fifty works that make a tour of what it has meant the career of this artist. It is a very important figure in the history of American art mixing qualities of Minimalism with sensitivity for color, shape and distinctive finish of the West Coast.
My favorites are the steel sculptures to become polished mirrors are placed in such subtlety in nature are almost invisible.
{gallery}mcracken{/gallery}
- Details
- Written by Alejandra de Argos
Surprising Miquel Barceló
This Mallorcan artist's latest venture, presented in the fabulous New York gallery Acquavella, was a surprising turn from his previous works. The fruits of this ceaseless experimentation have proved to be very powerful.
This is the first exposition in New York dedicated solely to Barcelo in the last ten years. Two series are exhibited; one is very striking, featuring portraits of the artist's family and friends on linen treated with bleach and charcoal. They are disturbing portraits with a forceful impact.
The other series consists of very expressive/symbolic white paintings where the circle plays an important role, metaphorically alluding to the sun, the bull-fighting arena, the bull's eye...The artists sees these works as akin to paintings on cave walls.
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Marcella |
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Adam |
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Cécile |
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Mére y Marcella |
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Gimferrer y Modiano 2 |
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Colm |
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Yasuo |
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HUO |
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Eusebio Lazaro |
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Eric Mézil |
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Dore |
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Planés |
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Vista Alegre |
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17 Vagues |
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Plaza de Toros de Ronda |
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Plaza Mayor |
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Dos Triples y N NW très léger |
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Ouvert |
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1,2,3,4 M |
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5 petites Vagues y Trois petites Doubles
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- Details
- Written by Alejandra de Argos
Last night was the premiere of Aída at San Carlo's Theater to mark the bicentennial of Giuseppe Verdi's birth.
The special thing about this performance is that it was commissioned by Franco Dragone, theater director, well known for his work with the Cirque du Soleil.
The staging was simpler than other productions of this Opera and much moré timeless; Ancient Egipt themes were intermingled with classic ballet and contemporary tecnological effects.
The staging was magnificent, more minimalist but also more intimate.
The cast included the great Lucrecia García in the part of Aída, Jorge de León as Radames, Ekaterina Semenchuck in the role of Amneris and Marco Vratogna as Amonasro. It also included the Opera legend, bass singer Ferrucio Furlanetto in the role of Ramfis.
The orchestra and the choir of San Carlo's Theather made for an outstanding evening.
- Details
- Written by Alejandra de Argos
Velázquez and the family of Felipe IV represents an unmissable experience of art in all its aesthetic beauty. After visiting the Chapman retrospective, I was deeply thankful for such visual delicacy. The exhibition is small, consisting of 15 paintings by Velázquez during the last 11 years of his life. It was precisely during this time that he decided to specialise in portraits. The rest of the exhibition contains a selection of paintings by his successors Juan Bautista Martínez de Mazo and Juan Carreño. It's a pity that Mazo's paintings, which are copies of Velázquez's ones, are displayed next to those of the great master, as although they are of a high standard in their own right, they inevitably pale in comparison to the original.
From the first room of the exhibition I would particularly recommend the sheer strength of the portrait of Pope Inocencio X, painted during his second and final visit to Italy. This is smaller in size than the first one he painted, - the latter being one of the painter's masterpieces - but still retains all the expressive intensity of the previous one.
The other portraits are of Felipe IV, his wife Mariana of Austria - whom he had recently married - and his sons. His use of colour is extraordinary, considering how limited his palette was. His meticulous pictorial technique, visible in suits, curtains and decorative elements, is extremely precise, creating a wonderful sense of realism and beauty. But what really stood out for me was how he handles his characters' eyes and stares, giving each character a life and personality of their own - this is what most differentiated the copies of his successors from his own.
- Details
- Written by Alejandra de Argos
Musician Brian Eno, best known as member of Roxy Music and creator of the ambient sound, is exhibiting his sound-and-image installation at the Alcalá 31 gallery.
77 Million Paintings is a unique audiovisual experience - it would take 400 years to see every possible combination of images projected on the 12 screens. Visitors sit on a sofa and variations of images almost without noticing the subtle changes, while listening to calm, peaceful sounds which leave one in a state of contemplation and introspection.
As the artist himself perfectly describes, "It is a space where viewers surrender to the images, colours and music around them - their senses are sharpened, and they reach a state of complete tranquillity where the only thing that's possible is to just let oneself go and give in to the experience."
