2011

Art Review

The Versatility and Subjectivity of Mixed Media: An Artist’s Take on a New Exhibition

August 2011, New York. The current exhibition at The Gabarron Foundation, “Jóvenes Creadores Fundación Casa Pintada”, on view until September 9, is creating a stir with its unique concepts and visual appeal. As an artist myself, I gravitate toward the works of two Spanish artists, Ramón González and Nono García. Their work for this exhibition puts me in a wholly different mindset from the moment I see their style of art with the application of various art materials, and their overall construction.

Both González and García provide their audience with visually stimulating paintings, sculptures and, in González’ project, video installation. In effect, their projects point toward otherworldly and surreal tendencies, with an eerie emptiness that envelops the uncertain, stoical faces and inanimate objects. We also see minimalist aspects in these pieces where the artists have added only what is necessary to create a simplified and clean aesthetic. These notions can be very enticing for the viewer, as they have been for me, for a number of reasons. One intriguing characteristic of both projects, in particular, is that of subjectivity, which results from a person’s ability to think freely and decide for himself/herself based upon the subject matter and the ways in which the art has been constructed. These works make the viewer mull over their somewhat intense and strange nature.

As an artist, I am not merely looking at the appearance of these paintings; I dig beneath the surface to consider their technical and material construction, at once realizing both artists’ talent and the effort put into each work. The handling of the canvases by both artists is well-executed, especially their utilization of mixed media, a favorite of mine when I am busy creating in the nook of my basement. Upon close inspection, I see some similarities between the artists and myself, in the use of mixed media and the abstract and representational qualities that are presented in all the works to some degree or another. I find that combining various art materials, “mixed media”, is thought-provoking and necessitates creativity. In González’ Je and García’s Berlín we see mixed media used to some extent, but more so in González’ piece. In Berlín, a large painting of a bowl and ladle, García focuses on the paint application, i.e. the brushstrokes that produce a certain texture and feel to the canvas, and he gives us a delicate, but not overdone, layered effect. By contrast, González’ Je contains a “grid-in” overlay creating visible three-dimensionality over the face of the young girl depicted in the painting. When considering my art-making process, I lean toward the effects that result from the combination of layering and collage, pen, paint, and marker – obvious transitions from one material to the next within a singular work of art. In this way, a coalescence of dissimilar techniques and materials invites, among other things, multiple textures and forms - it might even encourage viewer curiosity as to the nature and variety of materials that an artist chooses to use when constructing a specific work of art.

González and García have hit the mark with their engaging pieces. The method in which the artists make use of mixed media helps them communicate their subjectivity. Mixed media, as a whole, brings to light the open-mindedness that is subjectivity; mixed media contains numerous qualities that may suggest different ideas. The artists, especially González, have used mixed media in ways that can affect the audience, possibly resulting in wonder or pure admiration. Their art sense, or the way they think about art and how it should be implemented, has inspired this fellow artist to experiment and explore further into my artistic imagination. I hope to be on their level someday, when I become recognized and acknowledged for the art I exhibit; for now, though, I am content to appreciate the fascinating work of these two artists.

Elena Santoliquido
Exhibitions and Events Departments