marita fontana
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Marita, is a self-taught artist with Graphic design, Communication, Music, Publicity and business studies in PerĂş. Her oldest memories are having a crayon in her hand. Born in Lima, she left almost 30 years ago , first to Australia and is currently residing in Amsterdam. She says that she feels very grateful for her cultural heritage , Italian, Peruvian and African and to have amalgamated her own heritage with the influences and inspiration that new cultures have given her. She allows herself to be amazed by life itself and is fascinated by the complexity of human beings and therefore, they are the main theme of her Art.
These are a result of a conversation between her interior world - sometimes troubled and often blissfully chaotic - and reality. Her art often reflects that moment where negative emotions are transformed into joy, peace or transformation, personal symbolism that turn into an explosion of color and shapes. Her inspiration is life itself, how she lived it, how she remembers it. She has exhibited in South America, Europe , New York and now for the first time Africa.
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marita fontana
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the creative chaos
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The visual artist Marita Fontana works on Art that is full of copious emotions and sensations. On these works, the compassions, through fragile and complicated human and daily dimensions, are mingled. Simply, they’re paintings with diversity of identities and cultures of Latin America (Peru), Europe (Italy) and Africa according to their ancient roots; this diversity bestows strength and energy to these artistic achievements. Maria Fontana obtains the main themes of her paintings from human daily life through its complications. For, she takes out her characters through explosion, flow, diversity of stages of colors to existence of different and distinguishable cases of feelings. From “Creative Chaos”, characters diffuse
within her visual and tinting ambit, in order to embody humanitarian positions that are varied from one Art work to another. Fontana aspires at repeating the form of world’s details at her particular mirror, without trying to copy and imitate it; she wants to reshape and form at “fragmented mirror” that reflects sensations and emotions. So, Marita Fontana doesn’t imitate anyone, but, she makes her essence and life as private teachers. She attempts to touch “Spirit” of the receiver, and move his emotions towards rethinking of human relation that gathers us. This latter has started to lose its efficiency due to technological development, which as far as it assembles us, it disbands us; and the human closeness and warmness that humanity used to have before the era of “little finger” according to Michel Serres’ tongue have been cancelled.
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Throughout artistic thread that’s opened on life with its upturns and alteration in relation to human relations that’s marked with chaos, Fontana works. As Gilles Deleuze describes “the creative chaos” or the constructive chaos, it appeals for damage to build, create and set up a new world with more energy and life. But, if the mission of philosopher –according to Deleuze- is “contriving concepts”, the mission of the artist –in return- is “contriving the worlds”; that’s to say to repeat forming the world through his inner mirror which contends with imitation for imitation. That’s why, I find myself in front of works of Marita Fontana like I’m before simulacre works through meaning of Deleuze, where there’s an astonishing concurrence between Paul Cézanne and Francis Bacon in “drawing of sensations”; as Paul Valery says: “sensation is what it directly moves without detour or bents to a novel or story.”
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magic realism Briefly, we cannot hesitate to describe Marita Fontana’s coloring works as little stories that form the huge novel (this exhibition where we’re at…) is novel that belongs to world of “magic realism” which has got out of high mounts of Andes. F O R E W O R D
Fontana’s paintings take varied viewed presence between portraits and sights that show characters on usual daily positions (before the mirror, at the sofa, in a intimate relationship, and at the café or tavern…); while the characters are mostly women. For, the female body has permanent presence in paintings of the Artist Fontana. The female is considered the necessary theme that visual arts have been taken into consideration since the Classic era and before; she’s considered a symbol and mark of life and beginning of the universe and world. She is also the symbol of fruitfulness and bestowal in many civilizations. Thus, the artist lets those bodies arise from the case of Chaos through an operation that resemble the operation of bestowal and beginning of the Universe.
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drawing of sensations
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Azzeddine Bourga : Poet & Art Critic Translated by: M’hammed Kanour
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واألحا س س ّ الفي ا ضة ؛
واملعقد.
لوحات جذور
ال ضار ة القدم .ذا التعدد و الذي عطي ل ذه املنج زات الفنية قو ا وحيو ا ال تتمتع ا. ستقي مار تا فونتانا موا ضيع لوحا ا من ا ياة ال شر ة اليومية ب ل عقيدا ا ،جاعلة إيا ا ّ ال قة" Creative chaos
ينة .من " ال الب صري و ت
ّ .ل ذا فمار تا فونتانا ال تقل د أحدا ،بل تجعل من ذا ا وحيا ا
العالقة ال شر ة ال تجمعنا ،وال بدأت تفقد ح رار ا بفعل التقدم التكنولو ،الذي بقدر ما يقر ن ا ف و ُي بعدنا عن ع ضنا البع ضُ .ملغيا ل تل ك ا ميمية وذلك الدفء اإل سا ي الذي انت تتمتع بھ "
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مدرس ا ا ا صة .ل ذا سعيا م ا ملالم سة "روح" املتلقي ،وتحر ك عوا
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رآة
ةقلاخلا ى ضوفلا
الفنانة ال شكيلية مار تا فونتانا Marita Fontana
عامرة بالعواطف
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سيساحلأا مسر تتخذ لوحات فونتانا لنفس ا ح ضورا مش ديا متنوعا ،ب ن بورتر ات ومشا د ت ز موا ضع يومية إعتيادية )خلف امل رآة ،فوق األر كة ،عالقات حميمية ،املق
وصا
ّ عد املوضوع األ م
.إذ ل سد األنثوي ح ضور دائم ل وح ات ال ف ن ان ة ف ون تانا ؛
الذي ا تمت بھ الفنون ال شكيلية منذ الع صر ال كالسي ي وما قبلھ ،باعتبار ا رمز وعالمة عن ا ياة و شأة ال ون والعالم ،بل إ ا رمز ل صو ة والعطاء ح ضارات عديدة .ل ذا تجعل الفنانة تلك األجساد Chaos
بھ عملية "ان ثاق" ال ون و شأتھ.
ﺑﺘﻘﻠﺐ وﺗﺤﻮل اﻟﻌﻼﻗﺎت اﻹ ﺴﺎﻧﻴﺔ ،اﳌ ﺴﻤﺔ ﺑﻨﻮع ﻣﻦ اﻟﻔﻮ F O R E W O R D
ﺴﺘﻌ ن ﺑﺎﻟﺪﻣﺎر ﻟﺘﺒ وﺗﺨﻠﻖ وﺗ
،اﻟ ﻳﺼﻔ ﺎ ﺟﻴﻞ دوﻟﻮز ﺑﺎﻟﻔﻮ ا ﻼﻗﺔ ً وﺣﻴﺎةْ . وإن ﺎﻧﺖ ﻋﺎﳌﺎ ﺟﺪﻳﺪا أﻛ ﺣﻴﻮ ﺔ
-ﻛﻤﺎ ﺣﺪد ﺎ دوﻟﻮز-
–ﺑﺎﳌﻘﺎﺑﻞ-
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ﻟ أﻣﺎم أﻋﻤﺎل ﻣﺎر ﺘﺎ ﻓﻮﻧﺘﺎﻧﺎ إزاء أﻋﻤﺎل ﺳﻴﻤﻮﻻﻛﺮ ﺔ ﺑﺎﳌﻌ اﻟﺪوﻟﻮزي، Cézanneو ﻓﺮا ﺴ ﺲ ﺑﻴ ﻮن Bacon ﻣﺒﺎﺷﺮة ﺑﺪون ّﻟﻔﺔ أو ﻣﻠﻞ “اﻹﺣﺴﺎس وﻣﺎ
"رﺳﻢ اﻷﺣﺎﺳ ﺲ" ،إذ وﻋ ﺣﺪ
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،
رواﻳﺔ أو
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ﻣﺪ ﺶ ﻣﻊ ﻞ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻮل ﺑﻮل ﻓﺎﻟ ي Valery
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ةيرحس ةيعقاو ﺧﻼﺻﺔ ،ﻻ ﻳﻤﻜﻨﻨﺎ إﻻ أن ﻧﺼﻒ أﻋﻤﺎل ﻣﺎر ﺘﺎ ﻓﻮﻧﺘﺎﻧﺎ اﻟﺼﺒﺎﻏﻴﺔ
ّ ﺸﻞ
اﻟﺮواﻳﺔ اﻷﻛ ) ﺬا اﳌﻌﺮض اﻟﺬي ﻧﺤﻦ ﺑﺈزاﺋﮫ( ...رواﻳﺔ ﺗ ﺘ إ ﻋﺎﻟﻢ "اﻟﻮاﻗﻌ
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.Andes F O R E W O R D 0 2
ع زالدين ب وركة Azzed dine Bourga / Poet, art critic
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Title : “ Paul “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 43 cms x 60 cms
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inside my head, Title : “ Inside my head, outside my head“ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 70 cms x 70 cms
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Title : “ I won’t be silenced “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 90 cms x 90 cms
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sergio sergio Title : “Sergio “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 90 cms x 90 cms
sergio sergio
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Title : “ Love in the times of Prozac“ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 107 cms x 120 cms
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life in the time of prozac life in the time of prozac
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the street paper vendor Title : “ The newspaper vendor “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 80 cms x 60 cms
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the woman
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what does your woman face say? Title : “ The woman with red plume “ Aluminium Chromaluxe Mixed Media Art Size : 90cms x 120cms
Title : “What does your woman face say?“ Aluminium Chromaluxe Mixed Media Art Size : 90cms x 120cms
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another mother
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Title : “ What about the flowers? “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 70 cms x 70 cms
what about the flowers?
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Title : “ Another mother“ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 80 cms x 60 cms 1 3
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all that i have
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Title : “ All that I have “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 80 cms x 60 cms
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Title : “Insomnia“ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 120 cms x 120 cms 1 5
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the mirror
the mirror
Title : “ I see myself in you “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 80 cms x 60 cms
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Title : “ The Mirror “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 80 cms x 60 cms
i see myself in you
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Title : “ The vulnerable child according to Young“ Limited edition Fine Art Print on Hahnemühle paper with archival ink with certificate of authenticity) Framed Size : 60 cms x 45 cms Edition of 5
the vulnerable child according to young
Title : “ The children rescuer “ Limited edition Fine Art Print on Hahnemühle paper with archival ink (with certificate of authenticity) Framed Size : 60 cms x 45 cms Edition of 5
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the children rescuer
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run run run run run run run run run Title : “ Run “ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 55 cms x 120 cms
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Title : “ I used to be a stripper“ Mixed Media on Canvas Framed Size : 80 cms x 60 cms
i used to be a stripper
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Does being represented by an art gallery give you financial stability, or do you prefer being an art-preneur? I think both have its advantages as well as disadvantages. In an ideal world, an artist would prefer to spend their time only creating but this not something accessible to all. What do you want your artistic legacy to be? I want to continue to be true to my vision, painting from emotions and from the soul, and hopefully this can survive the passage of time. I want to be able to make art accessible to all. I want to be able to touch hearts with my art.
Can you create better art? For sure. Art is like any other discipline. You need to continuously find ways to know yourself better in order to grow. Self-evolution and synesthesia is for me the key. How do you appraise your art? I do not let myself be tempted to make things that might sell better, and by these means I let the observer be the appraiser. Do you consider supporting female artists a just philanthropic cause? I would not call it philanthropic because that has a diminishing connotation. But I do believe that supporting female artists is an integral part of the movement towards achieving true gender equality in all fields. Are you creating too much art? What is the definition of too much? I think I do. There is a sense of urgency I can’t control. It comes and goes but it’s mostly the way I communicate and process my emotions. Do you archive your artworks in a Catalogue Raisonné? No. Not yet.
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Do you think an artist should invest in promoting her art? Yes, I do. There is an old generation of artists who think that promoting your art is not “chic.” They believe that their success can only be validated if they are “discovered” by curators—that this would somehow spread the word and give their art value. In the current fast moving society, this is not realistic and it’s a shame that so many good art gets lost in the anonymity. You need to make art but you also need to open the door to show it.
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interview
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What is the difference between an artist and an artisan and what do you qualify as art? An artist is someone that aims to make something that hasn’t been done before. An artisan follows a school of generations of artisans whose work is limited to the techniques they have practiced for centuries. Art is always in motion and is somehow more personal.
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Is digital creation art? I believe it certainly is. Digital art is simply a new medium and it will take some time for art lovers or collectors to understand that the process of creation is the same and hence has the same value and credibility.
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Is your art recognized as yours? I think it does have a certain signature to it. The way I use my brush strokes and the colours are a constant in my work. Do you follow the market trend to create? No, I try my best to stay far from it and remain authentic.
Can talent substitute academia? Yes. I even think that academia sometimes might influence your creative process so much that it might discourage you or confuse you. I have studied art, but I feel that letting go of predefined rules is what has made me become a better, or in any case, a happier artist. Do you consider your art a business if you intend to live from it? Yes. I have to. In the time of Van Gogh, there were no cameras to take pictures so there were artists to recreate life. They needed to make a living from it. Many were exploited and made very little money in order to survive and get by. The way that we are making art has changed, but not many are fortunate enough to make art for the sake of it. If you don’t sell, you cannot continue making more. It’s like any other profession—the only difference is that being an artist is not a choice but an intrinsic part of your being.
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Does your art need to be provocative? It doesn’t need to be provocative but I think that my emotions might be confronting and when those emotions are integrated into my art they might be seen as being provocative. But it’s not my intention. It’s just what it is.
@artsfemin
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Instagram @artbymaritafontana Website www.maritafontana.com Email : marita@maritafontana.com