Contagio [Contagion]

Closing yesterday was the group exhibition Contagio [Contagion] curated by Jaime Gili at Cecilia Brunson Projects, London ...

Lizi Sánchez:

Alexandre Canonico:

Jaime Gili:

Chino Soria:

Cecilia Bonilla:

Manuela Ribadeneira:

Patricia Domínguez:

Martín Cordiano:

Lucía Pizzani:

Thank you for your hospitality, J.

Guarimba

Back in Toronto now ...

I was lucky enough to catch Jaime Gili's latest show on its last day when I was in London.  Great to see Jaime and his new works at Cecilia Brunson Projects:

Gili

A video by Elisa Rodriguez about the art of Jaime Gili, my favourite artist and friend:

Video from GlitchGarten's vimeo channel

Sunny Tulse Hill

It was a sunny afternoon when I visited Jaime Gili's newly renovated studio space in Tulse Hill, London yesterday.  It's been two years since I last came.  It's really great to see an old friend with his new paintings.

Geometry and optimism from south London

I have been captured by the dynamic geometry and the warm optimism of Jaime Gili's paintings since I first saw them at Saatchi Gallery in 2010.  So when I was invited to visit Jaime's studio during my recent trip to London, I was totally thrilled.  Thank you, Jaime, for having me and showing me the canvases that I haven't seen before.  It's a real treat.  I look forward to your new shows in future.  A show in Toronto someday(?) would be a blast.

Droits De Succession

I was totally thrilled to hear about Jaime Gili's new solo exhibition Droits De Succession at Oficina #1.  The new series of prints on view are superpositions of Gili's signature geometry on printers' proofs and leftover editions he has collected over the years from artists like Carlos Cruz-Diez, Max Bill, Marcel Floris and François Morellet, who have been key figures or influences of the Venezuelan abstraction. This clever dialogue between the past and the present witnesses the succession of geometric abstraction from one generation to the next.  While it is exciting to see Gili's new works, it's regretful that I can only see them on pictures since the exhibition is in Caracas, Venezuela.  The show is opening today!

Gili on Morellet:

Gili on Floris:

Gili on Bill:

From the Roundabout Gili series:

All images courtesy of Jaime Gili.  Thank you for the pictures, the translation and your generosity, J.

Bochner + Gili @ Whitechapel

Whitechapel Gallery was the only art gallery that was open yesterday because of the Boxing Day holiday.  Although the Underground strike made getting around town quite challenging, I did manage to drift from west London (where I'm staying) to east London (where the gallery is) and back, not without delay though.  The reward was an inspiring show If The Colour Changes by Mel Bochner and a limited edition book from the gallery store on Jaime Gili.

Bochner's cerebral installation Theory Of Painting was my favourite but I couldn't get a picture of that.  Sorry this is the only picture of Bochner's other works I can find:

The book Jaime Gili: Repetition contains not only Gili's works, along with surprising variations, but also an interview of the artist by Pablo León de la Barra:

Gili explosion

Jaime Gili's paintings were said to appear as if someone had thrown a bomb at a work by fellow Venezuelan, master of op art, Carlos Cruz-Diez.  Whether there's an explosion or not, Gili's dynamic triangulation is causing a commotion, in a good way.

Images from Jaime Gili, Riflemaker Press 2008

Pop + minimalism + vorticism + futurism + graffiti art = ?

Newspeak British Art Now at Saatchi Gallery is another good show to see the most current British art.  The first installment of the show was shown last summer and fall; the second installment is still on, through spring.  I first saw Jaime Gili's works when I went to see the show last December.  His works were said to be a mix of pop, minimalism, vorticism, futurism and graffiti art.  I don't really care about the labels.  It is the geometry that captures me.