Olga de Amaral
Olga de Amaral
tombé sur cette phrase : « Le charpentier ne vient pas
que m’importe si vous pressentez que cette méfiance
vous dire : “Ecoutez-moi parler de l’art de la charpente”,
introduit un propos ringard, acerbe ou aigri, lequel ne
mais il traite pour la construction d’une maison et il fait
peut être que celui d’un vieux schnock ou schoque ou
voir qu’il possède son métier. » Olga de Amaral n’a ja‑
chnoque, à votre guise. Ecrans… Qu’y puis-je si un mot
mais parlé de l’art de la charpente à personne. Ce qu’elle
trimballe avec lui des significations anciennes quand bien
assemble, tresse et dresse, compose un piège où le re‑
même son sens a évolué ? Il se trouve qu’avant d’indi‑
gard prend conscience de ce qu’est (peut-être) son pou‑
quer, dans le domaine de l’optique, une surface sur la‑
voir et de ce qu’est (peut-être) son impuissance lorsqu’il
quelle se reproduit une image, ce qu’il ne fait que depuis
fait face à l’indéchiffrable, qu’il doit admettre que ce qu’il
1859 me précise un dictionnaire historique de la langue
rencontre et éprouve impose le silence. Et si elle n’a pas
française, ce mot écran a d’abord désigné un panneau
besoin de citer Épictète, c’est parce qu’une affirmation
qui servait à protéger, à dissimuler, à cacher. L’expression
comme celle-ci, essentiel propos de Cézanne, lui importe
« faire écran », me précise le même dictionnaire, date
– c’est une hypothèse –, plus que tout : « La sensation
elle-même de 1866. Pour « faire écran », un « écran de
est à la base de tout, je le répéterai sans cesse. » Relisez,
fumée » a pu – et peut toujours – fort bien faire l’affaire.
s’il vous plaît : « … de tout ». Ce qui implique, parce
Comment donc ne pas se méfier de ces écrans ? Et
qu’une œuvre est un partage sinon elle n’est rien, celle
comment ne pas se méfier des images qui paraissent sur
qu’il a pu éprouver et celle qu’il se propose de provoquer.
ces écrans ? Comment ne pas redouter que la vigilance,
De quel ordre est la sensation que provoquent ces sur‑
l’acuité et la lucidité que le regard se doit d’exercer en
faces ? La réponse vous appartient.
soient atteintes ? Le très cynique PDG d’une chaîne de té‑
Ce qui ne doit pas vous empêcher de penser à ces
lévision ne s’est pas privé d’affirmer que son boulot consis‑
mots prononcés par Matisse : « Tout art digne de ce nom
tait à livrer aux annonceurs « du temps de cerveau humain
est religieux. Soit une création faite de lignes, de cou‑
disponible ». « Disponible » est l’adjectif pudique pour si‑
leurs : si cette création n’est pas religieuse, elle n’existe
gnifier conditionné, engourdi, abruti, stupide. Comment
pas. Si cette création n’est pas religieuse, il ne s’agit
un regard usé par les images diffusées en rafales pourrait-
que d’art documentaire, d’art anecdotique… qui n’est
il encore être capable de la patience qu’exige la peinture ?
plus de l’art. » Ou encore à ce propos de Mark Rothko :
Comment un regard fatigué par ces images qui imposent
« Les personnes qui pleurent devant mes tableaux font la
l’immédiateté pourrait-il être encore capable de prendre
même expérience religieuse que celle que j’ai eu lorsque
son temps pour voir ? Je ne peux me satisfaire de la pi‑
je les ai peints. » Faut-il vous préciser que cette expé‑
teuse (et douteuse) consolation qui m’assure que, parmi
rience se passe de textes sacrés comme elle se passe de
toutes les images qui passent sur ces écrans, les seules qui
culte et de liturgie ?
vaillent sont celles qui les crèvent.
Comprenez-moi bien. Si j’ai tenu à vous citer ces
C’est pourquoi, vous le comprendrez, ces surfaces
phrases de Paul Éluard qui m’accompagnent depuis des
que propose Olga de Amaral me sont essentielles. Elles
années, c’est parce que l’œuvre de Olga de Amaral est de
conduisent à un recueillement, à une méditation néces‑
celles, rares, qui permettent de ne pas vivre « que comme
saires. Elles permettent de prendre rendez-vous avec ce
un mort, comme une pierre ou comme du fumier ».
qui est « sensible, réel, utile ».
Acceptez que si cette lettre a commencé par une confidence, une autre tienne lieu de conclusion. Vous n’avez pu que le constater comme moi, depuis quelques années les écrans se sont multipliés. Je m’en méfie. Et
Pa sc al Bonafoux
My dear ***,
I
f I have said this all to you before, forgive me
what they had to be. It was “it”. And “it” could only be
for repeating myself. These words have been
“it”. The word “surface” that I have chosen to use may
with me for years, because they will have been
disturb you... What other word could I use? They are not
a beacon to me, and will no doubt have defined
canvases... Not paintings either. Nor are they tapestries, a
a requirement —they are essential (to me). For
word that would relegate this piece of art to who knows
all this time I have kept a slip of paper, folded
what basement or attic where, obsolete and out of style,
n two, in my wallet. In forty years, the onion skin paper
it would belong to nothing else but dust. Let us agree
has become a bit weathered, torn, and held together
that I stick to “surface” for lack of a better word. At least
with tape. I had typed a few sentences by Paul Eluard on
this lets me attempt to give an (imperfect) description of
t: “I am not of those who try to lose their way, to for‑
what it is: irregular, unbalanced and rough, uneven as
get themselves, by loving nothing at all, by cutting down
much as fluid and undulating. At least this word allows
their needs, their tastes, their wishes, and by leading their
me to invite you to see for yourself that the light seems
ives, that is to say life, towards the loath‑ some conclusion of their deaths. I am not willing to subject the world to myself by the mere virtual power of understanding, I want everything to be tangible, real, use‑ ful to me, because it is the basis on which
Letter to *** regarding Olga de Amaral
I can conceive my existence. A man can only be in his own reality. Otherwise, he only appears to others as dead, as a stone or as a piece
to scrape the surface, and graze it in one place, then in
of trash.” This is how Eluard began a text that he wrote
others to burst forth and sparkle... Unlike on any other
about Picasso’s painting.
material, unlike on any other “surface”. What can I do if
At times I would only read it every now and again. At
this ordinary word is the only one that can describe what
times I felt that I had to read over it quite often. Regard‑
is incomparable in this artwork? All the more incompa‑
ess, I always come back to it when I discover a piece
rable that it remains detached from any manifesto or any
of art, and after having gazed at it for a long time, sur‑
theory in order to be singular.
prised, confounded, lost, what else? A bit worried per‑
The acrobats, authors of these theories and mani‑
haps, my only certainty being that I understand nothing
festos that have always been around, which has not
of it at all; I have to ensure myself that what I am looking
prevented them from becoming increasingly numerous
at is “tangible, real, useful” I did not have to reread Elu‑
over the last few decades, should have read Epictetus’s
ard’s words in Olga de Amaral’s studio. Because what she
Discourses. Book III, Chapter XXI, to be precise, entitled
showed me was obvious.
To those who undertake the profession of teacher with a
And necessary.
light heart. They would have found this sentence: “The
The surfaces spread out in front of me were what
carpenter does not come and say, Hear me discourse
they should have been. And they were nothing else than
on carpentry, but he undertakes a contract and builds a 5
house and so shows that he has acquired the art.” Olga
the word screen, before standing for a surface on which
de Amaral never talked about the art of carpentry with
pictures are shown (its meaning since the 19th century,
anybody. What she assembles, weaves and sets up cre‑
according to my etymology dictionary), used to desig‑
ates a trap in which the regard becomes aware of its own
nate a board whose function was to protect, to hide, to
power and of what it is (perhaps), of its weakness faced
conceal. Hence the expression “to screen off” . In order
with the incomprehensible, and it must admit that what
to “screen something off”, a “smoke screen” has always
it encounters and perceives imposes silence. And if there
managed to do the trick.
is no need to quote Epictetus, it is because the following
So how can we not mistrust screens? And how can
statement —an essential comment by Cézanne— mat‑
we not mistrust the images on them? How can we not
ters to her (that is a hypothesis) more than anything else:
fear that they could affect the necessary vigilance, acuity
“Sensation is the basis of everything”. Read it again,
and lucidity exercised by looking? The very cynical CEO
please: “... of everything”. Which includes the sensation
of a French TV channel once allowed himself to con‑
that he could experience and the one that he offers to
firm that his job consisted of selling “periods of time of
arouse —because an artwork is a matter of sharing, oth‑
available human brain” to advertisers. “Available” is the
erwise it is nothing at all.
modest adjective meaning conditioned, dulled, dazed,
What sensation do these surfaces inspire? The answer lies within you.
stupid. How could looking, worn out by the flurry of broadcasted images, still be capable of the patience re‑
It should not keep you from thinking about these
quired by a painting? How could looking, tired by these
words by Matisse: “All art worthy of the name is reli‑
images that impose immediacy, still be capable of taking
gious. Be it a creation of lines, or colors: if it is not re‑
its time to see? I cannot be satisfied with the pitiful (and
ligious, it does not exist. If it is not religious, it is only a
doubtful) consolation which guarantees that, among
matter of documentary art, anecdotal art…which is no
all the images passing on these screens, the only ones
longer art.” Or those by Mark Rothko: “The people who
worth watching are those with a great presence on it.
cry in front of my paintings have the same religious ex‑
That is why, you will surely understand, these surfaces
perience I had when I painted them.” Do I need to point
that Olga de Amaral proposes are essential to me. They
out that this experience does not need any sacred text
lead to a necessary contemplation and meditation. And
just as it does not need any cult or liturgy?
it is here that one can come and see what is “tangible,
Do not misunderstand me. If I insisted on quoting Paul Eluard’s words that have accompanied me for years, it is because Olga de Amaral’s work belongs to those rare people that make it possible to live not only “as dead, as a stone or as a piece of trash.” Kindly accept that if this letter started with a confi‑ dence, it will also end with one. You must be aware like me of the multiplication of screens in recent years. I do not trust them. And I don’t care if you sense that this mistrust introduces some old-fashioned, caustic or bitter thoughts that can only come from an old schmuck or shmuck or schmo, whichever you prefer. Screens... What can I possibly do when a word carries old meanings even when its definition has evolved? In the field of optics,
real, useful”.
Pa sc al Bonafoux
Strata aqua i, 2010.
7
eMorias i, 2
Resonancia 2, 2009.
9
Vestigio Azul, 2002.
Estudio MagEnta, 2007.
11
Pueblo F, 2010.
13
Pueblo e, 2010.
Umbra 51, 2007.
15
MeMento, 2000.
Segmento 8, 1999.
17
Lienzo 25, 1988.
Bosque i y ii, 1988.
19
nudo Magenta, 2011.
21
MeMorias ii, 2010.
AlquimiA 95, 2005.
23
Strata 14, 2009.
Strata 15, 2009.
25
Strata 18, 2010.
Strata 20, 2010.
27
Pueblo P, 2012.
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Olga de Am a ral 1932 naissance d’Olga de Amaral à Bogotà en Colombie
Expositi on s / E x h i b i t i o n s ( 1 9 9 0- 2 01 2 ) 2012 Olga de Amaral, Nohra Haime Gallery, New York, NY, USA. • Boundaries, Latin American Masters, Los Angeles, California, USA. 2011 VII Pueblos VII Policromos, Bellas Artes Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. 2010 “Entre Pueblos” & oeuvres récentes, mise en scène par Juan Montoya, Galerie Jean-Jacques Dutko, París, France. 2009 Plus Ultra al di La’ del Barocco, Museo Della Citta’Di Santa Giulia, Brescia, Italia. • Estructuras y Esculturas, Jim y Olga de Amaral, Galería Club El Nogal, Bogotá, Colombia. • Jim y Olga de Amaral, Corpbanca, Caracas, Venezuela. 2008 Golden Fleece, Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel. 2007 Strata, Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas, Madrid, España. 2005 Resonancias, Centro Cultural de Belen, Portugal. 2004 Threaded Words, The Colombian Embassy in the United States, Washington D.C. 2003 Glyphs, Bellas Artes Gallery, Santa Fe New Mexico, USA. 2002 Tiempos y tierra, Museo de la Nación, Lima, Perú. • Museo de Arte Moderno, Barranquilla, Colombia. 2001 Mes de Colombia, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2000 Bellas Artes Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. 1999 Galería Diners, Bogotá, Colombia. • Hillside Terrace, Tokio, Japan. • Kreismuseum, Zons, Dormagen, Germany. • Textilmuseum Max Berk, Heidelberg, Germany. • Olga de Amaral. Woven Gold, The Albuquerque Museum. • Albuquerque, New México, USA. 1998 Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA. • Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianápolis, Indiana, USA. 1997 Museo de Arte Moderno La Tertulia, Cali, Colombia. • Art Museum of the Americas, Washington D.C., USA. • Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. • Bellas Artes Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. • Rétrospective, Musèe de la Tapisserie Contemporaine, Angers, France. • Olga de Amaral: Seven Stelae, Federal Reserve Board, Washington, USA. • University Art Museum Downtown, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. 1996 Galería Diners, Bogotá, Colombia. • Peter Joseph Gallery, New York, New York, USA. • Museo de Arte de Pereira, Pereira, Colombia. • Nine Stelae and other Landscapes, Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, California, USA. • UNM Center for the Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. 1994 The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, California, USA. • California State University, Todd Madigan Gallery, Bakersfield, California, USA. • Galería Pérez-McCullom, Guayaquil, Ecuador. • Bellas Artes Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. 1993 Lost Images, Inherited Landscapes, The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, California. • Elite Fine Arts, Miami, Florida, USA. • Cuatro tiempos (retrospectiva), Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia. • Centro Cultural Avianca, Barranquilla, Colombia. 1992 Lost Images, Inherited Landscapes, Johnston Community College, Overland Park, Kansas, USA. • Bellas Artes Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. 1990 Bellas Artes Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. •
Prix et R e m e rc i e m e n ts / AWA R DS A N D AC KNOW L E D G M ENTS 2010 Membre de l’Académie Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Buenos Aires, Argentine. 2009 Prix attribué à Olga de Amaral pour la Vème Biennale Internationale des Arts de la Fibre, Art Textile Mondial, Buenos Aires, Argentine. 2006 Le Prix Olga de Amaral est créé au Costa Rica et le premier prix de 2006 est remporté par Olga de Amaral lors de la IVème Biennale Internationale des Arts de la Fibre, Art Textile Mondial, San José, Costa Rica. 2005 Visionary Artist 2005, décerné par le Museum of Art & Design, New York, USA. 1989 Présidente, UCLA, Los Angeles USA. 1973 Guggenheim Fellowship Arts Créatifs/Beaux-Arts, New York, USA. 1972-1974 Premier Prix 3ème Biennale des Arts de Coltejer, Medellin, Colombie. 1971 Premier Prix du XXIIème Salon des Artistes Nationaux, Bogotà, Colombie. Co nfér e n c e s / Co n f Eren ces 2003 Conférence “Le lieu de mon imaginaire” Metropolitan Museum, New York, USA. 1978 Conférence à l’Université de Californie, Berkeley, USA. 1972 Palais de la Légion d’Honneur, San Francisco, USA. 1971 Olga de Amaral participe avec Magda Abakanowicz, Junius Bird, Sheila Hicks, Boris Kroll, Glen Kaufmann et Jogoda Buic au symposium "La fibre comme moyen créatif", organisé par l’ UCLA, Los Angeles, USA. 1970 Ecole des Arts Appliqués, Bâle, Suisse. 1968 World Crafts Council, 3ème Assemblée Générale, Lima, Pérou. 1967 Université de Californie, Berkeley, USA.
cOllect iO n s p u b l iq u es et privé e s / P U b L iC A n D P R i VAt E Co L L E Cti o n s
American Craft Museum, New York, New York, USA. • Ararat Gallery, Australia. • Arthur Young Company, Houston, Texas, USA. • Banco Comercial Antioqueño, Medellín, Colombia. • Banco de Comercio Exterior, Bancoldex, Bogotá, Colombia. • Banco de la República, Bogotá, Colombia. • Braniff International Airways, Kansas, USA. • Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois, USA. • Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. • Clínica Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia. • Club El Nogal, Bogotá, Colombia. • Colgel the Clinton Exchange, Syracuse, New York, USA. • Coltejer, Medellín, Colombia. • Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA. • Charterhouse International, New York, USA. • Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois,USA. • Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado, USA. • De Young Museum, San Francisco, California, USA. • Dreyfus Corporation, New York, New York, USA. • Embajada de Colombia, Madrid, España. • Embajada de Colombia, México D.F., México. • Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, California, USA. • Federación Nacional de Cafeteros, Bogotá, Colombia. • First National Bank, Forth Worth, Texas, USA. • First National City Bank, Chicago, Illinois, USA. • First National City Bank, Miami, Florida, USA. • Flagship Bank, Miami, Florida, USA. • Florida National Bank, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. • Forth Worth National Bank, Houston, Texas, USA. • Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong, Japan • Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, USA. • GBC International, London, Great Britain. • Hotel Santa Clara, Cartagena, Colombia. • Hyatt House, San Francisco, California, USA. • Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Illinois, USA. • Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, California, USA. • IBM de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. • Interamerican Development Bank, Washington, USA. • International Trade Mart, Bruxelles, Belgique. • John Nuveen & Company, Chicago, Illinois, USA. • Kunstendustrimuseum, Throdheim, Norway. • Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. • Marriot Hotel, San Francisco, California, USA. • Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, USA. • Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, USA. • Museo de Arte Moderno, Bogotá, Colombia. • Museo de Arte Moderno La Tertulia, Cali, Colombia. • Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York • Musée cantonal des Beaux Arts, Lausanne, Suisse. • Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan. • Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France. • Musée Bellerive, Zurich, Suisse. • Musée Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine, Angers, France. • Museo de Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Nuevo México, USA. • Museo Nacional-Cancillería, Bogotá, Colombia. • Museo del Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo, Lima, Perú. • Museum Bellerive, Zürich, Suisse. • Omaha Public Library, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. • Omni West Hotel, New York, New York, USA. • Palacio Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia. • Park Hyatt, San Francisco, California, USA. • Peachtree Plaza Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. • Phillip Morris Collection, New York, New York, USA. • Prudential Life Insurance Company, New Jersey, USA. • Regency Hyatt House, Chicago, Illinois, USA. • Regent Hotel, Hong Kong. • Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. • San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, Texas, USA. • Seguros Skandia, Bogotá, Colombia. • Sofitel. Hotel Nicolás de Obando, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. • The Renwick Gallery of the National Gallery, Washington, USA. • Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, USA. • The Landmark Group, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. • The Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado, USA. • The Renwick Gallery of the National Gallery, Washington, USA. • UCSD Medical Center, La Jolla, California, USA.
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