Latin American Art, Artists, Artworks, Art Galleries, Museums, Art Community and Art Resources.

Using diverse strategies and materials, spanning from the installation of light filters and translucent materials to the use of photography, the Brazilian artist Lucia Koch critically dissects the issues of space. Introducing subtle alternations in private and public spaces, she questions what constitutes a space, how do we create it and how do we live it. Working in situ, the artist departs from the particularity of a location to reshape its experience and open up new perspectives on its structures and functions. However, in her site-specific interventions the original space always remains legible. Koch modifies a space without erasing its singularity. As such, her work simultaneously locates the viewer both inside and outside a space—in an ambiguous position, which generates a critical attitude toward architecture and its effects.

Lucia Koch’s exhibition at Lucía de la Puente, Un Tour, was centered around/on a wall. Characterized by its irregular curved form, its undulating surface, and its brown color, the wall articulated the antithesis to the rational architecture of the gallery. Diagonally installed, it distorted the spatial unity of the room and obliged the visitors to make ‘un tour’ in what is normally an open surveyable space. By altering the gallery space and choreographing the visitors movement, Koch’s exhibition articulated a critical exploration of the significance of the gallery as a physical space and as a defining context.

Koch’s wall created two spaces, both marked by the conflict between the geometric architecture of the gallery and the organic design of the wall. In the first space the gallery context disappeared in favor of the physical space. The wall did not appear as an object but as an element emphasizing the spatial structure of the gallery. In the second space, however, the gallery context prevailed due to the presence of a photograph of the interior of an coffee package, enlarged to an architectural scale (Café extra-forte, 2011). The wall no longer appeared as an structural element; instead, it appeared as a sculpture, reflecting the qualities of borders, separations, and divisions—or what could be called the aesthetics of walls. Consequently, instead of simply contrasting ‘the white cube’, the wall created two dialoguing rooms, which both, in turn, challenged the experience of the gallery with the presence and absence of objects.

If the wall altered the space structurally, the photograph Café extra-forte transformed it illusorily. Yet both evoked the expansion of space beyond the visual and physical borders surrounding us. The wall was perforated but not transparent; thus it incorporated the presence of the other side without making it visually accessible. Similarly, the photograph virtually expanded the room only to impose yet another border. Through this process of creating and denying spaces, Lucia Koch emphasizes the surface of walls as an element of communication between the inside and the outside, the internal and the external—a motive that also returns in her photographic series Cono Norte (2011).

Café extra-forte prefaced the four photographs exhibited in the last room of the gallery. Produced during the artist’s travels through el Cono Norte, the northern district of Lima, this series reflects her impressions of the regional architecture. Each photo exposes the interior of a box, marked by cuts and in some cases colors. Parallel to her series of Amostras de Arquitetura, they represent specific architectural spaces on a miniature scale. Whereas most of the photos only display basic interiors, such as Los Olivos, 2011, others have more elaborate designs, such as San Martin de Porres, 2011. Through their differences, the photographs demonstrate the heterogeneity of the architecture of the region. Heavily influenced by a massive rural urban migration and a decade of intense economic activity, el Cono Norte is marked by a persistent conflict between center and the periphery, wealth and poverty. As one of the most populated areas of Peru, its architectural landscape is in a state of flux. Koch expresses the transitoriness inherent to this situation with the use of cardboard boxes. In the photograph San Martin de Porres, 2011, this material yields a beautiful confrontation with the elegant design, making explicit the coexistence of divergent realities within this zone.

Although Lucia Koch’s work incessantly suggests the endless expansion of space, it stops short of actually showing what lies beyond the sphere of the interior. Only vague impressions of the outside penetrate the cut out windows in the Cono Norte series. Nonetheless, far from recovering the interior at the expense of the exterior, Koch focuses on the borders and transitions between the inside and the outside through her ongoing interest in windows, walls, and other visual filters. Empty and thus reduced to their structure, the interiors render a direct confrontation with spatial limitations that continuously surround us all. Going further still, each one being unique, they also represent intimate personal spaces which, uncovered, expose barriers between you and the other.

Exhibition: Lucia Koch, Un Tour

Venue: Lucia de la Puente, Lima

Author: Laurens Dhaenens

Interview by Anjali Gupta:

Anjali Gupta: Talk to me about your shift from straightforward to nontraditional portraiture and landscape photography. Was there a specific inspiration for this?

Rodolfo Choperena: Yes. Olafur Eliasson exhibited a piece at the 2005 Venice Biennale called “Your Black Horizon” in a pavilion designed by David Adjaye. In 2007, the piece moved to Lopud, Croatia. In essence, it is a single beam of light that surrounds the space, 360 degrees, shifting through the color spectrum of a single day every 15 minutes.

I traveled to Lopud specifically to see the installation. It was an overwhelmingly contemplative experience, and after what seemed like hours, I began taking pictures. In reviewing these images—snapshots, really—I became obsessed with the subtleties of captured light: tonal shifts and fractures that the eye fails to notice.

AG: It is interesting that the impetus for a major shift in the way that you harness photography was inspired by happenstance, but the process you have developed has become, over time, quite regimented.

RC: When the work was first taking form, it was all about wonderment—about the unseen world—but it wasn’t until after my first series was printed that I began to explore the potential for staging and further in-camera manipulation. I traveled to Careyes, Mexico. Call it the prismatic effects of optics, the magnificent light of the Pacific or just an epiphany, but in that second series, everything changed. I began to really see the way that light refracts and bends and curves in three dimensions. It does so naturally, but we simply don’t notice. It’s all about physics.

AG: All of that is in keeping with the basics of how the medium itself works, but what you are doing obliterates the immediacy of the photographic process in terms of the way people digest and process (or rather, don’t process) images. We’ve come to understand the photographic image as a journalistic rendition of reality and don’t even think about how—or how much—they are being manipulated by what they see. But when one stands in front of one of your pieces, they know that they are being manipulated, and that can be a source of discomfort.

RC: That brings us back to process, and how my process is evolving. I started by shooting what I saw. Then the inner art director came out to play…what if there were deeper tones of blue here, or a shock of pink there? I soon started incorporating textiles into the work, which was the first element of staging I explored. It is a way of injecting and sharing a piece of the personal.

AG: Do you feel that the longer you explore this process, the more elaborate this is becoming—and will become?

RC: Absolutely. In the current series produced for my exhibition at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, I set out to do a study of light, breaking it down into the rather simple way that the eye sees and interprets color. Beyond chroma, in choosing the final images, I looked for texture, depth. Beyond all else, I look for beauty. They—the images—must speak to me. The images must have a sensual quality that goes beyond the parameters of an exploration of the physics of light.

Shadows, too, are of the essence. Look at the hyperreal work of Claudio Bravo and Jason Martin, two of my favorite artists. Bravo, even more so than Martin, achieves multidimensional effects even in monotonal, monochromatic work. Subtleties intertwine in the most sensuous of ways. That is what I am trying to achieve in this series.

Watch Rodolfo Choperena’s video: www.vimeo.com/27203564

Please visit the Exhibition of Rodolfo Choperena at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center – San Antonio, TX

Fine Art Funds – Taking the soul out of art investing?

AUGUST, 2011

Throughout history, retailers and individual collectors have been trading valuable works of art, whether for pleasure or investment potential. As far back as the 1800’s art trading clubs were formed and investors would gather to discuss their collections and potentially trade works. It wasn’t until after the year 2000 that commercial art funds began to gain traction as investment vehicles. At that time a number of entrepreneurs from the financial and arts industries who had a strong personal or vocational interest in art set up these funds, a number of which have fizzled out over the years. An art fund, much like a hedge or private equity fund, provides commercial rewards to both the capital providers and the fund managers. Considered by those involved to be a sophisticated type of alternative investment, art funds provide a long-term hedge during periods of financial crisis and inflation. For this feature, ALI spoke to two prominent fine art funds as well as to top art advisors to understand and analyze strategies of art investment funds as well as the recent growth in the Latin American sector Read More…

To read the full article and other related art articles please register for free with Alternative Latin Investor.

The Artistry and Stability of Colombian Gold

Gold Art Investment in Colombia

The history of pre-columbine gold mining dates as far back as the years 1-1000 A.D. Some of the world’s earliest discoveries have been made in Northeastern Colombia from the Tairona Culture, Early Zenu Culture and the Muisica Culture.

The important gold mining center of Buriticá, in the mountains of Colombia’s northern Antioquia Province, exploits rich… Read More…

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Alicia Framis photograph of a naked man spikes traffic

We could have not imagined that the #5 “Pageviews” listing in our traffic report would be a photo of a naked man by Spanish artist Alicia Framis called: “8th June, female models have a day off, Madrid”. We have had Picassos, Diego Riveras, Frida Kahlos, Gabriel Orozcos boost our traffic at any given day and it is expected to see an increase. This one really caught our attention as we were looking at the link trying to imagine what artwork could have been ahead of so many others that you would think of. You must see this image; it is a great photograph. Warning: if images of naked people offend you, do not open the link below.

Alicia Framis’ Photograph

Until Next Time,

Laura Cunningham
Director

The New Soumaya Museum is Inaugurated

Replacing a smaller museum located in the south part of Mexico city and with works by great masters like Diego Rivera, Auguste Rodin and Leonardo Da Vinci amongst what will be a rotating exhibition of close to 66,000 artworks so far – and counting, the Soumaya Museum was inaugurated last Tuesday in the northwest part of Mexico City. The museum will open to the public on March 28, 2011 and will be closed on Tuesdays. Admission will be free.

The Soumaya will display one of the vastest collections of European and Latin American Art in Mexico. The collection is owned by the world’s richest man, telecom billionaire Carlos Slim Helu and its name comes after Slim’s late wife Soumaya Domit Slim. The six-story modern building, beautifully designed by Slim’s son-in-law architect Fernando Romero is covered by 16,000 aluminum panels with a curvy landmark design on the outside, and the spectacular 183,000 feet of interior halls interconnected by stairs, ramps and elevators.

The inaugural exhibition will display some 6,200 artworks, which account for about 10% of the complete collection. The 800 million dollar building has a steel structure and it is armed with the latest technology such as controlled temperature and humidity to hold its artworks in the best of conditions.

The first and second floors hold gold and silver pieces, viceroyalty coins, Mesoamerican ceramic, stone and shell pieces. The third and fourth floors exhibit old European masters, New Spain masters, landscapes, portraits and various other art objects. The fifth floor exhibits an impressive collection of what refers to “The Mexican School of Painting” lead by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco, amongst many more such as the initiators of the called “The Rupture Movement”; a group of artists from the 1950’s heralding a huge change in Mexican aesthetic expression and it is known to be responsible for the cosmopolitan direction in which art in Mexico has been developed since. With Auguste Rodin as the main theme, the sixth floor holds “The Rodin Era”, also with works by Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, Camille Claudel, and one of his pupils Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux; it is said to be the most spectacular of all halls and the second most important Rodin collection in the world.

The Soumaya Museum has the most important collection of European art and Latin American art in all Latin America and it is the fastest growing private art collection in the world. Are Mexicans proud of getting a museum from their fellow citizen named the richest man in the world? At least Slim is not keeping his collection to himself. I am proud to have a country inundated with art wherever you go, rich areas, poor areas, parks, corners, circles; art is abundant and it is one of our biggest assets. Mexico is one of the most cultural cities in the world where people, rich and poor, identify themselves with culture in general; it is part of who we are. Mexico City is located on what was the capital of the Aztec Empire in pre-Columbian times and you may feel the power of the Aztecs in areas such as at the Templo Mayor. It is common to see old people, young people, families or groups of friends gather together to go to the museum for the newest exhibition or to check the permanent exhibition once again.

The Soumaya Museum just adds to that. And I am also excited for the upcoming museum that will hold the Jumex Collection, which will be the most important collection of Contemporary art, and it is being built right by the Soumaya and flanked by a new theatre as well.

Until next time,

Laura Cunningham
Director

As an art lover, I cannot fit one more artwork on any wall of my house. We have paintings and sculptures stacked on the floor of my studio and we are about to be forced to sell some of them and to give others away. We would also like to replace some of what is already hanging which we often do.

An artwork may carry out many different stories. Where you bought it or who gave it to you; where it was framed; what the subject is; what was the artist thinking? What were you thinking? An artwork can create so many topics of conversation, and people get to know you better once you give the story of one particular piece. Some art tells you about a specific culture or a political movement in any given country; some have happy subjects or amazing colors, some become part of our history.

You don’t have to be in the art business to have one or lots of them. Nobody should be intimidated by art wherever they see it. If you have empty walls, I strongly suggest you start little by little, one at a time, to buy art that attracts your eye and your soul, that makes you curious, that reminds you of something or some place. Art does not have to be expensive or from a known artist. My biggest advice is: buy original art. You can buy original art for $50 dollars or for thousands of dollars. If your budget is lower than $1,000 dollars you may start at an antique shop or even at an estate sale where you can find many varieties. Also, when you like a painting or a sculpture for example, it does not have to match any of the color schemes at your house – it will look great regardless.

Original art does two main things: it helps the artist make a living and it becomes an investment for you. Sometimes when you buy art at a furniture store or from say a decorator, you will likely buy art made in series meaning there are hundreds or thousands exactly the same. It is often worth 1 cent on the dollar and it does not carry as interesting of a story than an original bought at a place that is a bit more specialized in art or artifacts or directly from the artist. Nothing wrong with decorative art, it’s just a matter of choice.

Established galleries may carry some affordable known artists. You would be surprised at some of the names and what the prices are. For example, you may find a Diego Rivera original ink on paper for $6,000 to $10,000. You may also find other known painters such as Francisco Toledo, Jesus (Chucho) Reyes Ferreira or Francisco Zúñiga with drawings or etchings priced at $4,000 to $8,000 dollars. You may also find great oil paintings from artists getting established for $10,000 or less. You may discover an artist that you love and follow his/her career. If from a gallery, make sure to always get a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist or the organization that represents the artist or his/her estate.

Art is erroneously known to be for snobs. It is not. Owning art is like owning a good book or a nice table. It is part of who you are. The story of an artwork is most importantly for you to enjoy. When you arrive at your house or office and you see an artwork, it will always remind you of an experience you had before, during or after you acquired the artwork and it will enhance your life by creating a beautiful environment filled with your own story.

You may add this to your New Year resolutions: “Buy more original art”.

Make it a wonderful New Year!

Laura Cunningham
Director

“Latitudes: Maestros Latinoamericanos”

Right before it closed, I had the opportunity to visit the exhibition “Latitudes: Maestros Latinoamericanos” in Mexico City. This exhibition has traveled through Argentina, Spain, Brazil, United States and Mexico. At this time, the Collección FEMSA is participating in the exhibition: “José Clemente Orozco: Pintura y Verdad” in the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City. “Latitudes” displayed modern tendencies of the 20^th Century. There were 41 artworks from great artists such as José Clemente Orozco, Armando Reverón, Rufino Tamayo, Wifredo Lam, Roberto Matta, Antonio Berni, Alfredo Ramos Martinez, José Gurvich, Pedro Figari and many more.

I will describe just a few; one in particular that besides the fact that she might be my favorite female painter, I have a personal attachment from an early age to “Papilla Estelar” by Remedios Varo. Oh! What a beauty! For me, it has a peculiar magic that attracts your soul. Varo’s imagination is overwhelmingly enigmatic.

Other great works in the collection include a Juan O’Gorman “Los Mitos” (The Myths); here the artist establishes political and religious concepts on how humans have betrayed their own species thru the centuries depicting an inferno. 

A very “O’Gorman style” Frida Kahlo called “Mi Vestido Cuelga Aquí” (My Dress Hangs Here). Painted while living in New York City as Diego Rivera was painting a mural in Rockefeller Center, this is her only collage. In a very detailed cityscape, the “tehuana” dress is hanging on a blue ribbon attached to a toilet sitting on top of a column on the left, and a trophy also on top of a column on the right. The painting is filled up with buildings, factories and the Statue of Liberty. A great David Alfaro Siqueiros “Mujer Dormida – La Primavera” (Sleeping Woman – Spring)

And to close this note on a cynetic twist, this is a Luis Tomasello “Atmósfera Cromoplástica” (Chromoplastic Atmosphere) – Detail. This Argentinean artist has a real talent playing with geometric forms and managing color, light and shadows which I find phenomenal.

Until next time,

Laura Cunningham
Director

When we launched latinamericanart.com we had the daunting task of selecting a competent dedicated server provider and we chose 800hosting. Since our inception we knew that eventually we had to chose a provider that would be able to hold our hand, help us when needed and most of all, keep the web sites up.  Art and technology are much more compatible now than back in the day, but it’s rare to find an art nut who is also a full blown technical wizard. So we often times find ourselves able to handle the front end (updating our sites) but with little or no comprehension of how the backend works. Things like data backup in case our system fails or keeping our servers free of viruses have become very important to us. Read a few blogs and you will quickly learn that not so nice things happen to nice web sites far too frequently.

The only time we had an issue was when one of our dedicated servers started to have a slowness issue but that was quickly resolved with a simple phone call. 800hosting has been helpful when needed and has always been prompt to reply by phone or email so we have been very satisfied with our choice and while they are not the least expensive, we sleep better at night knowing that they are keeping a watchful eye on our servers.

So we want to publicly thank 800hosting for doing a great job and helping us make latinamericanart.com the best Latin American Art portal on the web.

An Interview with Peter Fetterman director of Peter Fetterman Gallery.

Peter Fetterman

Peter Fetterman was buzzing around his booth at the Dallas Art Fair as I was walking around. We made eye contact, got closer and asked each other who we were. Great guy with a thick British accent, I had instant chemistry with him. I wasted no time and asked if I could have an interview and he was ready to collaborate with me. It was the last day of the fair and he had many clients coming back to buy what they had seen over the weekend so my visit lasted for over one hour but the interview was only 11 minutes long. 

Laura Cunningham: How long have you been collecting?

Peter Fetterman: I have been collecting for 30 years.

LC: Have you only collected photographs?

PF: That is correct. I specialized in photography from the beginning.

LC: What got you interested in Latin American photography?

PF: I like the humanism in the images and I think that people from Latin America have a genuine sense of caring and reality, basic human values which maybe a lot of other cultures don’t have. They are very nice, kind, sensitive people – full of life – and sensitive to other people’s problems and a sense of humanity.

LC: Have you always had a gallery to display your photographs?

PF: I started as a private dealer for 3 years and then I opened my first public gallery 17 years ago. Now I am based in Santa Monica, California. I am British by birth and I moved to America 30 years ago. I was a film maker but I got seduced by the power of images – still images – and it changed my life.

LC: Do you only collect Black & White photographs?

PF: I deal primarily with Black & White; it is more powerful for me.

LC: Have you ever lived in any Latin American country?

PF: I have not. I would like to.

LC: Would you tell me more about the Latin American photographers you carry?

PF: Sure, I think Sebastiao Salgado is probably the most important living photographer. He was born in Brazil and lives in Paris. He has a really global view. That’s his ethos. I really think he is the greatest living photographer. I spend a big part of my day on him.

Sebastiao Salgado – Gold Mine 1986

LC: What would you consider to be the main difference between Sebastiao Salgado versus Manuel Alvarez Bravo or Tina Modotti or Graciela Iturbide?

PF: I think because he travels so much he documents the world, and I think that both Bravo or Modotti who I love were very confined only to Mexico, where as Salgado is a Brazilian photographer that has a global vision an he is an economist that has an understanding on how the world works in particular how the third world works and how its relationship with the first world works because of his training as an economist. He is not just a photographer; he is a highly intelligent, analytical person with a great talent, with a great vision and he knows how to tell stories and he knows how to move people and he knows how to show things that he wishes.  

Manuel Álvarez Bravo – El Sueño 1931

LC: Do you collect any other type of art; paintings, sculptures…

PF: Occasionally, I collect some paintings, I like drawings, and sometimes I trade with other art dealers. Over the years you find things you fall in love with.

LC: What moves you?

PF: My daughter “princess Charlotte” and theatre.

LC: What’s your favorite play?

PF: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, It makes me cry every time I see it.

This was a little bit about Peter Fetterman. A gentleman, easy to talk to. I hope to visit his gallery soon and pick his brain a little more so I may share with all of you. If you want to learn more about the photographers he represents, please visit www.PeterFetterman.com.

Until next time,

Laura Cunningham

Director