ARTURO MALLMAN reception april 3
rd
6–9 pm
CAMINDO SIN DESTINO (Walking Without Destination) Haunting, luminous, and richly allusive, the semi-abstract landscapes of celebrated painter Arturo Mallmann transport us into realms of the sublime. The artist, who was born in Uruguay and has traveled and exhibited internationally, has seen many of the world’s most spectacular landscapes—but the mountains, canyons, and plateaus in his paintings are landscapes of the mind. Complex psychological allegories, they glow with mystical expanses of light, sky, land, and water, punctuated by sensual daubs of paint that seem to enclose the drama of Abstract Expressionism within the cool implacability of color-field painting. The works are born of a painstaking, time-intensive process in which the artist applies up to 100 layers of translucent paint, varnish, and resin, imparting a luxuriantly aqueous sense of depth that invites the viewer to dive into an alternate universe. Most of the compositions are peopled with one or more human figures, who are simultaneously dwarfed and embraced by the fantastical landscapes that surround them. “I don’t see the figures as particular people,” Mallmann reflects. “I see them as metaphors for a state of expectation and exploration, which we all experience. They are struggling to reach a place that is inside themselves, a place where they belong.” Because the figures symbolize universal longings, viewers often find themselves projecting their own desires and dreams into Mallmann’s otherworldly vistas. The skyscapes that are so integral to these compositions are especially evocative. When he was in his twenties, the painter was profoundly touched by a scene in Tolstoy’s War and Peace in which a soldier, wounded on the battlefield, gazes up at the sky. Despite the havoc and carnage all around him, the soldier is overcome by a deep contentment and serenity. Mallmann hopes that collectors of his work will be able to enjoy a similar tranquility as they contemplate his paintings. Those familiar with Mallmann’s paintings will notice in the current body of work a heightened concern with surface and contrast. The compositions are more dynamic than ever, and the color palette is brighter. “They are more visceral,” the artist observes of the new works. “The images are expanding. The space is growing. The light is taking over the whole image.”
Richard Speer
exhibition dates april 1st - may 29th, 2010 reception april 3rd 6–9 pm Front Cover: A Jump Into Vastness, acrylic and resin on wood, 42” x 72”, 2010
Caminando Sin Destino acrylic and resin on wood, 48” x 36”, 2010
Procesion Hacia El Olvido #2, acrylic and resin on wood, 30” x 48”, 2010
Madre E Hija Con Perro, acrylic and resin on wood, 36” x 72”, 2010
Every Step of the Way, acrylic and resin on wood, 60” x 84”, 2010
Brother and Sister acrylic and resin on wood, 48” x 36”, 2010
518 JULIA STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130
Rompiendo Barreras #1 acrylic and resin on wood, 48” x 30 ARTWORK © ARTURO MALLMAN 2010 CATALOG © GALLERY BIENVENU 2010
504.525.0518
www.gallerybienvenu.com