saltfineart
Published on the occasion of
OUR FIRST YEAR All images reproduced with permission of the artist For more information on the gallery, please visit
saltfineart.com saltfineart 1492 South Coast Highway Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949.715.5554 info@saltfineart.com
saltfineart Following in the grand tradition of the salt trade, we believe that art, like salt, enhances and therefore deserves to cross borders country borders, state borders, any and all kinds of lines. We specialize in museum caliber Latin American Contemporary art, where our roots run deep and whose talent and commitment we are passionate about sharing. We travel extensively throughout Central and South America to form relationships with established and internationally renowned artists as well as incredible emerging talent. We aim for the gallery to be stimulating, challenging, and rewarding, for all involved - artists and collectors alike. Although we need to be commercially viable, equally important for us is to push boundaries, educate and expand the horizons of Latin American Art. Every artist represented, from the world-renowned to the emergent, transgresses social boundaries.
owner: carla tesak arzente carla@saltfineart.com director: suzanne walsh suzanne@saltfineart.com
exhibitions saltfineart has a created an exhibition schedule that displays the full potential of our artists and the depth and range of Latin Contemporary art.
Grand opening group show, October, 2009
Octavio Arosemena, November, 2009
Rafael Varella and Marco Valencia, December 3 - January 31, 2010
Ronald Moran and Luis Fernando Ponce, February, 2010
Mayra Barraza, March, 2010
Ana Mercedes Hoyos, April and May, 2010
April, Auction 2010, benefiting Growers First, 501(c)
Lucas Rise, June, 2010
Moises Barrios and Arturo Monroy, September 2010
Summer Collective, July and August, 2010
Jose Rodriguez and Monica Torrebiarte, October 2010
Olga Sinclair, November and December, 2010
press and publications saltfineart is committed to enhancing the reputation of our represented artists by commissioning limited edition exhibition catalogues and critical essays along with building relationships with art writers and art related publications throughout the country. Read more at saltfineart.com/news.
ANA MERCEDES HOYOS saltfineart presents
ANA MERCEDES HOYOS: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL MINIMALISM BY PETER FRANK
LAND OF THE FREE PALENQUE
select publications
ANA MERCEDES HOYOS LAND OF THE FREE: PALENQUE Featuring the essay, Ana Mercedes Hoyos: An Anthropological Minimalism, by Peter Frank. ISBN: 978-0-557-35641-6
THE RATIONAL & THE POETIC New work by Octavio Arosemena Critical essay by Roberta Corraso
THE INVISIBLE MEN OF MAYRA BARRAZA Critical essay by Idurre Alonso Curator, Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach
select press
04.17.10 05.01.10 07.01.10 08.04.10
Coast Magazine Art Access Preview of Mayra Barraza, Jeanne Willette for Artscene Salvadoran artist's works on display in Laguna Beach Ron Gonzales for the OC Register Colombian Artist Narrates Freedom’s Allegory, LB Independent Latin American Art Goes Under the Gavel, Daniella Walsh for the LB Independent Contained Passion at saltfineart, Daniella Walsh for Riviera Magazine LATIN FLAVOR: Pressner transfers tattoo concept to 'paint' on boards Roberta Carasso for the OC Register
A R T ACC E S S
11.07.09 03.06.10 03.03.10
makes up as he paints. A chemical engineer, Valencia’s paintings are the most perfect; every leaf and detail in his densely lush landscapes are minutely composed. His paintings are often up to 12 feet long and five feet high, which causes viewers to feel as if they walk into a forest. The story is that for the wedding of Prince Felipe of Spain, El Salvador sent a Valencia painting as a gift. Queen Sofia of Spain, the prince’s mother, was so smitten by the art that she ordered another painting for her home. Valencia’s art, therefore, is in two palaces in Spain. Probably the most beautiful series comes from Rafael Varela, a master portrait artist who depicts children in poverty as they persevere with dignity. Varela often uses the symbol of young children in boats to signify how these barrio youngsters need to navigate through life with limited adult assistance. The beauty of the open waters with one or two children in a small boat may seem peaceful, even dreamlike, but the art is powerfully mind-boggling and tells much about their turbulent life as the small boat, without paddles or steering, moves through open waters often blocked by barricades. The most famous in the SaltFineArt is master artist Ana Mercedes Hoyos from Colombia. Hoyos depicts the African-origin fruit vendors, colorfully dressed ubiquitous characters in Latin American markets. But it is Hoyo’s signature style, the way she paints, draws and sculpts that is captivating. Her imagery beckons viewers into a magical paradise of fairytale hues and shapes, a colorful wonderland that is mesmerizing. Certainly, SaltFineArt has art for everyone. It is a gallery like no other in Southern California.
FLOWING ACROSS BORDERS
Marco Valencia, Camino Palmeras, acrylic on canvas, 78”x50”
BY ROBERTA CARASSO
SALTFINEART IN LAGUNA BEACH FOCUSES ON THE COLORS, CULTURES AND MESSAGES FROM A HOST OF TALENTED LATIN ARTISTS.
Rafael Varela, Buscando un Horizonte, acrylic on canvas, 48”x48”
$ 0 " 4 5 :: / 0 7 & . # & 3
here’s a new gallery in Laguna Beach, SaltFineArt, and it swings to a Latin beat. Conceived and owned by Carla Tesak, expect to see the best contemporary artists from south of the border. SaltFineArt artists exhibit in international museums and four are in the collection at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach. Tesak considers that art, like salt, flows freely across borders, between nations and societies. Salt and art are essential elements. They both bring out the essence and flavor of who we are. Salt affects our palate and physical well-being as art affects our soul. Filled with images of fruit vendors, exotic flowers, marketplace rhythms, and lush land-
T
scapes, the gallery is like a tour of the tropics. But reality is that this part of the world has had its share of turmoil, which sensitive artists cannot neglect. There are spellbinding portraits of young boys becoming men too soon as Latin countries struggle with the Americas’ imported street gangs that terrorize societies. Or, the aftermath of war between rebels and the El Salvador government that ended in 1992, but still permeates daily life. Paintings, drawings and sculptures range from figurative to conceptual, with subject matter and types of art from benign and rosy to stark and surreal. In a realistic vein, Marco Valencia works in a hyper-realistic style from images he
Robert Beauchamp, Untitled, oil on board, 22”x30”
ROBERT BEAUCHAMP: BEAUTY IN BESTIALITY Robert Beauchamp (1923-1995) was one of the first and most prominent Figurative Expressionist painters to come from the New York School art scene in the 1950s. Having studied with the great Hans Hofmann, Beauchamp’s artistic imagery took root after World War II when the world was reeling from devastation. His paintings, prints and works on paper honestly portray, like a visual diary, the unspoken consciousness of our nation. It is a mixture of abstraction, still-life, expressive figures, wild nightmares, and benign hope. More interested in portraying the inner state of being, Beauchamp combines symbols, metaphors, bestiality, and phantasmagorical imagery. Yet he blankets all his work with the warmth of desire and pleasure. Even his playful art, with references to innocent childhood, ponies, imaginative birds, and animals, keeps us on edge with feelings of connection and disconnection. It is rare that the uniquely expressionistic art of Beauchamp comes to Orange County. It is included in permanent collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, and the University of California at Berkeley. This is a rare opportunity to see an original master.
VIEW IT O LATIN SPICE :: SaltFineArt Gallery, 1492 S. Coast Hwy. Unit 3, Laguna Beach 949.715.5554 :: saltfineart.com
O A MASTER IN OC :: Robert Beauchamp: Beauty in Bestiality, Art Resource Group, 20351 Irvine Ave. Ste. C-1, Newport Beach; through November 30 714.371.0101 :: artresourcegroup.com
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the thrill of discovery Several times a year, gallery owner Carla Tesak Arzente travels to countries throughout Latin America, following leads and forging relationships with museum administrators and artists in an effort to scout out the best in Latin contemporary art. To see a full list of represented artists, please visit saltfineart.com/artists.
artists
ana mercedes hoyos Ana Mercedes Hoyos is recognized as one of the most outstanding artists in present day Colombia - with solo exhibitions in New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Buenos Aires. Her work, with commentaries by well-known critics, has been featured in four previous books and in magazines such as Art News, Newsweek, Time and Art in America. She has received numerous awards and invitations from the governments of Japan and the United States and has exhibited across 4 different continents in the last 55 years. Hoyos is perhaps best known for her keen depictions of the Palenque, the first free territory of the Americas and the only matriarchal society in Latin America.
andriy halashyn Halashyn is an emerging global sensation. In the last year alone (2009-10), he has exhibited at the Los Angeles Art Show, Arte Americas (Miami), Red Dot Art Fair (Miami), Arteahora Art Fair (Chicago) and the Hot Art Fair (Switzerland). Ukrainian born, but living and working in Costa Rica for the past 10 years Halashyn brings a cosmopolitan touch to his lushly dystopian paintings. In addition to winning awards in the Ukraine and Costa Rica, Halashyn has had numerous solo and collective exhibitions around the world in Los Angeles, Miami, Switzerland, the Ukraine, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama.
irene pressner After experimenting for decades with acrylics, oil, acids, mixed media and even asphalt, Irene Pressner is finally seduced by the sensual, human feel of beeswax. Her unique pieces use a tattoo device on encaustic (beeswax) board to create ‘Rococomics’ camouflaging tattoos popular with American servicemen during WWII and historic comics among the repetitive patterns of antique textiles to create in the spectator the surprise of discovery. Winner of the first prize in the MOLAA awards of 2006 as well as major awards in her native country Pressner’s work is included in museums in Venezuela, California and Israel and has been exhibited from Florida to New York and Spain.
jaime izaguirre A notable emerging contemporary from Central America, Izaguirre is voraciously exploring his talents. Just selected to participate in a World Bank exposition that will travel from Washington D.C. to Paris, Izaguirre was also awarded the first prize in the internationally juried auction of the Museum of Art El Salvador (2009) and won second place at the II International Video Festival in Nicaragua (2009). He has also twice won scholarships to technical ateliers at the Superior School of the Arts, Nicaragua. His work has been exhibited extensively throughout Central America. Izaguirre’s images often deal with the asymmetries of innocence and power.
luis cornejo Cornejo paints with cheek--- by giving pretty young things Mickey Mouse ears and tails, he challenges our ideas of perfection. With sold out shows in 2007, 2008 and 2010, Cornejo’s ability to masterfully combine acrylic and oil to fuse hyperrealism with a highly stylized, flat 2-dimentional style has been duly noted. Cornejo has exhibited individually and collectively in Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Mexico, Canada and Germany. Cornejo’s career has skyrocketed in recent years, with a one year paid scholarship to Berlin (200910), top awards from the Museum of Art , MARTE in 2008 a well as the National Art Awards in 2003 and 2001.
mayra barraza Barraza’s is always in pursuit of the human experience. During her distinguished 20-year career, Barraza has not only earned national recognition for her art in her homeland of El Salvador but also in Europe and the United States. Winner of both the most recent MOLAA awards (2008) and the Iberoamerican Bienniale (2009), she has exhibited at the II Biennial in Lima, Peru, Casa de America Latina in France, Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno in Spain, Museo del Barrio in New York and Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña in Puerto Rico, among other institutions. The distinctions of Barraza’s career and her contribution to the Latin American cultural and artistic discourse made her a well-recognized leader of contemporary Latin American art.
ronald moran Named by Exit Madrid as one of the 100 most influential contemporary Latin American artists, Ronald Morรกn has participated in over 150 exhibitions throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia. In 2007, Morรกn represented El Salvador at the Venice Biennale. He has also exhibited at the Bien al Cuvee in Austria, the Tenth Habana Bienal, the Dorsky Curatorial Project in New York and the Margulies Collection in Miami with a recent invitation to the Beijing Biennale in 2010. His work addresses the silent machinations of power and aggression. His work addresses the silence of power and aggression, the white cotton wrapping his pieces projecting a benign appearance that belies their true nature.
cecilia paredes Cecilia Paredes is renown for her performance, photography, sculpture and installation. Using her body as canvas, she paints herself into backgrounds of damask and chintz, forests and deserts. But she never completely blends ----never becomes mere decoration. Paredes is a part of the permanent collection of the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Panama Modern Museum, Museo del Barrio New York, and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design Costa Rica among many other institutions. In 2010 she will have a a solo show at the Moscow Modern Museum of Art. and a Fulbright sponsored show at the Cultural Institute in Lima.
roberto guerrero From his beginnings in photography shaded with guilt to his objects of art that are a celebration, over the last decade Roberto Guerrero’s autobiographical work has given visual voice to the experience of being different in homogenous and macho Latin America. Guerrero’s art has been exhibited collectively at museums, fairs and galleries the world over - from the Brooklyn Institute of Contemporary Art in New York, to the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Chile to Art Basel Miami (07,05) and Scope Basil in Switzerland (08) among others. Guerrero has also represented his native Costa Rica at the Central American Biennial (05).
luis fernando ponce With a recent solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art Guatemala, the last decade has seen Luis Fernando Ponce catapult from a background in graphic design into the world of fine art - most specifically photography and sculpture. He has exhibited collectively and individually in Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina, and the United States. His work forms part of the permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art “Carlos Mérida” in Guatemala, the Bibliotèque Nationale of France, and the Museum of Art and Contemporary Design in Costa Rica. Ponce’s objects serve as Trojan Horses of commercialism and culture world order, spreading cultural imperialism.
angel poyon Poyón is one of the most important voices of the experimental contemporary art movement in Central America. Departing radically in execution from the traditional artistic expression of his indigenous background, Poyon’s pieces nonetheless probe assimilation and identity. With individual shows in Guatemala and Costa Rica as well as collective exhibitions at the Tai Pei Fine Arts Museum, the Museum of Art of the Americas in Washington DC, the III Biennial of Visual Arts of Central America in Nicaragua and gallery exhibitions in Cuba, Miami, London and Norway Poyon’s talent proves prolific.
priscilla monge Priscilla Monge’s multimedia pieces and installations explore love, aggression and the complexities of power. She provokes using a wide variety of visual languages (photography, film, object, sculpture) and as a hallmark her art often plays with language itself. Monge is one of the most accomplished artists of contemporary Costa Rica. Part of the permanent collections of the Tate Gallery in London, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Seville and Museum of Fine Arts in Taipei, among others, Monge’s recognition extends well beyond her native country. She has had solo exhibitions in New York, Spain, Italy, Greece, Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
jose rodriguez With over 100 collective and 11 solo exhibitions, the quite power of Rodriguez’s surreal world have earned him a following recognized by juries and collectors alike. The past fifteen years have seen him winning top awards in both national and international museum competitions. He has represented his country at two biennales (Central America and Caribbean) as well as having served as a judge at competitions throughout Latin America. His work belongs to the collections of the Taipei Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan, the Museum of Art and Design in Costa Rica, as well as private collections in Spain, New York, Miami, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Italy and Morocco.
monica torrebiarte The sobriety and simplicity of Torrebiarte’s work belie a tremendous mastery that has been honed through 20 years of dedication to a single art form. Torrebiarte’s etchings find the sublime in the everyday, grounded, as the artist is herself, in the quotidian details that give joy - the organic forms found in nature, the hangers, the soap, the utensils that populate the life of a home. With 7 solo exhibitions in Guatemala as well collective exhibitions in Mexico, Spain, Honduras, Costa Rica, and participation in the Etchings Biennale of Venezuela (2008) and Honduras (2006) Torrebiarte’s acute technique and her exploration of form, texture and presentation have pushed engraving forward.
moises barrios Named by Exit Madrid as One of 100 Most Influential Latin Contemporary Artists of our time, Moises Barrios has been exploring his insatiable talent since the early 60’s. With exhibitions in 25 different countries, including shows at both the MoCHA New York and the MOMA Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Spain, France, Italy, England, and Taiwan. Barrios is recognized as one of the most distinguished and prolific talents of present day Guatemala. painted pieces.
arturo monroy Monroy’s illustrious career has not only spanned three decades, but has also seen long periods of time where the artist created in both Europe and the United States. Monroy has participated in both solo and collective exhibitions in the United States, Germany, Japan, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela and El Salvador. He’s won numerous awards including the National Artistic Decoration from Museum of Modern Art, Carlos Mérida, (2009) as well as two Silver Glifos at the Biennial Arte Paiz (2002 and 1998) and a Honorable Mention at the First Biennial of the Central American Isthmus (1998). His work forms a part of important public collections in Guatemala and Germany.
ana zamora With a degree in Special Education, Zamora came to painting later in life and has been running at full speed ever since. She has attended ateliers in painting (Barcelona) and etching (El Salvador) as well as studying with master painter Armando SolĂs. Her work has been featured in solo and collective exhibitions in El Salvador, the United States, Honduras and Panama.
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marco valencia Trained and graduated as a chemical engineer, Valencia brings an unequaled, hyper-realistic precision to his paintings. He is known for his imaginary hyper realism, painting exclusively from his mind rather than a specific photograph or place. Throughout the last decade Valencia has exhibited extensively in Latin America, earning him a following that has sold out his auctions across the region. Recent years have seen pieces sold in Sotheby’s and Casa Duran in New York and Madrid as well as galleries in Miami and Northern California.
olga sinclair All of Sinclair’s gestures are big. Her work has largesse, ferocity and full sensuality. Sinclair’s art enjoys tremendous critical recognition and has been exhibited around the world. Moving beyond the influence and talent of her famous father, Alfredo Sinclair, Olga is the bigger name and stronger presence. With her first public exhibition at the age of 14, Sinclair has since had solo exhibitions in the Miami, London, Madrid, Amsterdam, Jakarta and Buenos Aires. Her art forms a part of the permanent collections of museums in Latin America, the United States and Europe.
lucas rise Painting street signs and murals in Buenos Aires since the age of 12, Risé focuses on art that interacts - that can not be held in one’s hand, that transforms from different angles to become a universe of its’ own - to the point of obsession. His dimensional art has been featured in publications and capitals the world over, from Sao Paolo to Paris to Istanbul and Jerusalem. In 2006 he was a finalist in the prestigious Platt National Art Awards (Buenos Aires) for a functional sculpture featuring 20,000 individually cut and painted pieces.
cinthya soto Cinthya Soto interrogates the act/art of photography and its’ relationship to questions of time, place and memory-to questions of reality and its’ representation. Soto’s artistic accomplishment reaches far beyond her native Costa Rica. She has enjoyed solo shows in Italy, Spain and Costa Rica, collective exhibits in Europe, the U.S., Taiwan, Central and South America, and participated in several prestigious biennials, including the renowned Venice Biennial.
rafael varela Recognized as one of the master realists of Latin America, Varela has celebrated solo exhibitions in Costa Rica, El Salvador and the United States. Additionally, he has participated in collective group shows in Central America, the Dominican Republic, the United States and Spain. His work forms part of several important public collections such as the Museum of Latin American Art (Long Beach), the Vatican (Rome), the White House Collection in Washington D.C as well as private collections in Central America, the United States, Europe and Japan.
hector tadeo With individual and collective exhibitions at the National Center for the Arts (CENAR, El Salvador), the Museum of Art of El Salvador, (MARTE), the Museum of Modern Art Guatemala, the Museum of Anthropology (MUNA, El Salvador) and SOMARTS in San Francisco, Tadeo is honing his impressive talent and building his career while working as a professor of drawing and painting at the National Center for the Arts (CENAR, El Salvador).
octavio arosemena Entirely self-taught, Arosemena has exhibited at both the Museum of Contemporary Art, Panama and the Musuem of Art of El Salvador. He has paticipated in solo and collective shows in Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, the United States and Spain. He represented his country (Panama) at the Central American Biennial of Visual Arts (2006). He obtained first place at the XXI National Paintings awards (2004) organized by the National Culture Institute. He has also won distinctions and top placements in internationally juried shows.
jorge linares Jorge Linares brings a Dadaist aesthetic to sociopolitical reality. Made of mundane items, his objects--- irons, ties, racing cars and milk cartons--- are both material (objects) and immaterial (concepts). As profoundly critical three-dimensional puns, his work excoriates a global trade and commercialization that only reinforce the status quo and pump up an already fit asymmetry of power. This young multimedia artist--- he is under thirty--was chosen to exhibit at the World Bank in 2010 and has enjoyed solo shows in Guatemala and participated in numerous collective exhibitions, all curated by major talents.
leo correa Leo Correa’s photographs split the world in two. An ordinary object----a teapot, a boiling pot, a stoplight and a television set--- becomes extraordinary by opening onto another world. This other world is never simply reflected--- rather, it is distorted in a metallic convex mirror. A well-established multimedia artist with a 30-year career, Correa’s work is part of several public collections including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The MOLAA, Christie’s Auction House and Bucknell University. Correa has had solo shows in New York City, Washington D.C. and many Latin American capitals; he has also exhibited in several collective shows around the world.
jorge de leon A former gang member who expected to be dead by age 33, Jorge De Leon is on the front line of art as activism in his native Guatemala. De Leon approaches subjects of violence and poverty with an intelligent, graphic sensibility - using painting, drawing, public intervention, sculpture and his body as a canvas. Representing Guatemala in a number of Latin Contemporary exhibitions as well as joining the permanent collections of the Blanton Museum of Art (Texas), De Leon has received recognition in several exhibitions in France, Spain, Canada and the United States.
karen clachar From a beginning in fine arts - specifically painting and engraving, Clachar bursts into the world of conceptual art full force - photography, intervention, objects, sculpture - all aimed at recuperating and memorializing disappearing Costa Rican cultural heritage. Her art joins a cutting edge avant-garde sensibility with a resurrection of traditional images and objects. With a solo show at the National Museum of Costa Rica in 2009, Clachar has exhibited large-scale installations at international biennials in addition to participating in solo and collective exhibits in France, Spain, New York, Miami, Costa Rica, Colombia and Mexico. She has won awards both for her critical interventions and her photography.
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saltfineart 1492 south coast highway laguna beach california 92651 phone 949.715.5554 fax 949.715.7117 info@saltfineart.com saltfineart.com