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Now on view - New York 41 W 23rd St
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Carlos Llanes
RUM FILTER SERIESThe series *THRU* by artist Carlos Llanes showcases the outcome of an intervention and subsequent reconstruction of an object. Stripped of its essential utility, this object loses its original meaning and transforms into a piece for intellectual contemplation.The objects in question are rum filters, which have already reached their maximum capacity. The traces left on their surfaces allow us to imagine other worlds and conceive them in a micro space that views itself not as an end but as a means to something greater. The liquid is filtered before being bottled in the production processes; this filtration removes undesirable particles that result from the aging process while enhancing the purity of the rum’s color. The filters subsequently contain these impurities, and Llanes interprets this as a reflection of the idea that what is toxic and harmful is also an inherent part of life.This multifaceted object serves as a canvas where Llanes presents the viewer with suggestive imagery that ranges from chaotic to serene, all following an abstract language characteristic of much of his symbolic work.This demonstrates that life is not merely envisioned as a perfect entity; rather, it encompasses complex and challenging aspects that are often difficult to reveal.When removed from their original contexts and placed in settings where aesthetic appreciation occurs, the rum filters reveal their inherent artistic qualities, which are often overshadowed by their functional purpose. This act of separation and re-contextualization draws attention to the filters themselves, compelling the artist to seek meaning and beauty where others see residue and a discarded object. Just as the filters have been forced to abandon their original identities, the artist must also navigate this transformation. This intentional recontextualization enhances the ambiguity of both the object and its message, inviting deeper interpretation and reflection from the viewer. -
Marta Estrems
featured artist Argentian artist Marta Estrems, one of the leading Latin American Abstractionists, imbues her ethereal and often enigmatic canvasses with a powerful repertoire of emotional depth, kinetic energy and visual imagery, evoking complex connotations within deeper layers of the viewers' intuitive perception.
Her work is a form of meditation, an invitation to quiet the noise of the external world and to slow down to access the deeper layers of the self and human interconnectedness.
Marta Estrems' paintings seek to visualize the human capacity to connect with nature and each other, focussing on the inexpressible, the intangible, and the immaterial, with her abstract canvasses forming a bridge between our inner and outer world experiences.
Marta Estrems (born in 1949 in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina) received most of her professional training in Buenos Aires and initially pursued studies at the Manuel Belgrano National School of Fine Arts, where she obtained a degree in teaching visual arts. She later studied in the Master of fine arts program, majoring in drawing, painting, and sculpture at the Prilidiano Pueryrredon National School of Fine Arts. She moved to the United States in 1987 and lives and works in Miami.
Throughout her career, Estrems has participated in more than twenty exhibitions in Argentina, Italy, Spain, and the United States. Her work has been shown in cultural institutions such as PIAG Museum (Coral Gables, FL), Armory Art Center (West Palm Beach, FL), the Alvin Sherman Library (Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale), and the Latino Art Museum (Pomona, CA) among others. Her most recent solo exhibition includes “Containment: The Tao of Aesthetics” (Arch Gallery, Miami, 2012) and “Painting and Drawings by Marta Estrems” (Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2008). -
Featured Artist
Charles BlankCHARLES LOUIS BLANK (B. HAMMOND, LOUISIANA, 1948) HAS BEEN WORKING AS A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST FOR OVER 50 YEARS. HE RECEIVED HIS TRAINING AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. EARLY IN HIS CAREER, HIS DREAM-LIKE PAINTINGS OF DISQUIETING FIGURES, WHICH INCORPORATED MYSTICISM, ICONIC DISTORTION, AND PICTORIAL DRAMA, LABELED HIM AS ONE OF THE FEW "VISIONARY IMAGISTS" OF THE TIME.
HE ACHIEVED FAME IN THE 1980S. IN 1994, HE WAS FORCED TO STEP BACK FROM THE ART WORLD DUE TO HIS DETERIORATING MENTAL HEALTH BUT HAS CONTINUED TO EVOLVE WITHIN HIS PAINTINGS EVER SINCE.
AROUND 2010, FOLLOWING HIS MOTHER'S PASSING, HE BECAME ENTIRELY HOMEBOUND. HIS WORK TRANSITIONED BETWEEN THE OX FIELD BEHIND HIS HOUSE AND PURE ABSTRACTION, INCORPORATING HIS EXPRESSIONIST COLOR SCHEME AND STYLE OF THICKLY LAYERED PAINT. HE DRAWS FROM THE VOCABULARY OF LOUISIANA’S CULTURAL HERITAGE AND HIS DYSTOPIAN, SURREALISTIC LANDSCAPES ACT AS A FOIL TO THE BUCOLIC NOSTALGIA OF HIS OX FIELD SERIES, A METAPHOR OF A COUNTRY ONLY EXISTING AS A MEMORY AND THE SENSE OF IMPENDING ERADICATION ENCAPSULATED IN THE SMALL STRIP OF LAND AS A LAST STRONGHOLD.
BLANK'S WORKS ARE PART OF THE PERMANENT COLLECTION IN THE NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART AND THE HUNTSVILLE MUSEUM OF ART
