Phylogeny Contemporary
2718 Elliott Avenue Seattle, WA 98121
phylogenycontemporary@gmail.com
phylogenycontemporary.com
206.485.7498
Mauricio Vergara Solo
Exhibition
Phylogeny Contemporary
April 20 – May 28, 2017
Gallery Hours: Thursday and Saturday 11-7
Opening Reception Thursday
April 20th 5PM– 8PM
When I began my career in
2006 as a Gallerist in Saint Petersburg Florida, I would pick artist for very
different reasons than I do today. I was a bit blind and led by a few
university connections I had made. I was swayed by local artist and later a few
impressive curriculum vitae. That was not a horrible method of curating. It was
not particularly focused. It was not clear what my voice would be exactly with
what I exhibited and when.
I believe that level of
higher vision started with one artist's installation. He was a professor and a
well-received painter in Florida museums. Some of my best art installation
lessons came from this one-on-one art hanging work with artists in my gallery
in Florida. He was sure for my voice and most specifically my reason an
international art fair would select me I must be regional. His opinion was
about showing the best of my area and being only known for that. Also, he
dropped a new concept in my life about intention. He had stated something to
the effect- there must be a reason why these artists are showing together. It
seemed like something I might have thought about before. I cannot remember
being as hyper-aware of that theory after every day of my life. The last lesson
learned from that artist was about showing work exhibited before my exhibition
without taking that into consideration. The art critic from the local newspaper
pointed out while he was indeed impressive, this was all work she's seen
previously and was underwhelmed by the three new items he had made.
Now, I ask to exhibit new
not previously exhibited art in each and every show since that day. Older work,
I now select it because of its splendor, not because of availability. I no longer give over my curatorial work to
an artist is leading me down the path they want for moving older art, or hiding
the fact they are no longer producing the quality of art they one did. Also a
solo I found in my original space became a place great artist did not have
their best work just to fill the amount of wall space.
However, not all artists
have even attempted to over control an exhibition and have been
delightful. As I grew in my personal
vision and branched out way beyond regional to international artist, I
cultivated an incredible stable of artist.
I still meet artists that are phenomenally talented, but we just cannot
work together smoothly. I have learned to let go for different reasons and to
cultivate other relationships.
As I put together the
initial schedule for Phylogeny Contemporary, I had several artists in my recent
shows I would love to have in a focused solo exhibition. Timing their solo shows were a matter of
asking scheduling. One artist ahead reached out to me, and I adored her work
and was impressed by her CV. I met one
artist through a colleague in LA I had met in my first SCOPE NY 2010. She was
the booth across from me. We bonded over odd public programming next to the
flies it had brought to our booths. I
have cherished her friendship, advice, and ear since that fair. I am incredibly
lucky to have met these industry veterans throughout my Art Fair travels. This one woman, in particular, has become a
dear friend and a trusted ally in an industry that can be cold and superficial
at times. We have a collaborative exhibition together next spring. It is timed for our selected artist to
prepare. We have two shared artist I met her a few years ago, and I have two
new local artists I feel would especially like to hang well together. These
women have projects first that require attention. I am willing to wait one year
to plan it; I feel that strongly about the members of this project.
Solo projects ahead:
Mauricio Vergara, Joana Fischer June 2017, Michael Maritza July 2017, Suzy
O'Mullane August 2017, Capucine Bourcart November 2017. Group Exhibitions
September 2017 Suprematism, Constructivism and Futurism. April 2017 Special guest
co-curator Alix Sloan of Sloan Fine Art.
Mauricio Vergara reached out
to me while I was a nomadic Art Fair only exhibiting gallery. I liked his work,
but it was in .jpg format this is not always a good predictor of art. Once his
art arrived for our first exhibition together - Aqua Art Miami Beach - I became
fully committed to his art. His subject matter is somewhat rural, but with
figures missing themselves leaving only clothing and shadows a new allegory
begins.
I have responded art fair
guests in both Miami and New York to the comparison to René Magritte. While a comparison to a Surrealist master is
complimentary, most uninformed viewers are unaware of the many and significant
differences. I am unsure most are interested to know how they are similar and
where they diverge.
I have done some research
-thanks to the Seattle Art Museum's excellent library resources- beyond my
education in art history and attendance regularly in museums. Magritte's images
are pop culture icons.
For example René
Magritte's The Son of Man, oil paint, 1964.
René Magritte obscured faces in his art. The
figures, however, were fully present. The Son of Man, created in 1964 at age 66
is a painting created well into his career. Magritte began his art education in
1910. René Magritte's mother drowned
herself in the Sambre River when he was fourteen, 1912. askArt.com wrote in their biography, René
awoke one night, found his mother missing and led his two younger brothers to
search the town for her. The three brothers found her having jumped from a
bridge drowning herself in the Sambre River with her gown over her face. This
pivotal life experience presents itself in his art. It is not his only theme, nor his only art
inspirations. I am fascinated with his use repeating formal objects and
particular design element use in his composition. I learned, in fact, Magritte
worked in a wallpaper factory as a designer and public relations in a fashion
house. Golconda aka Raining Men used a
rhombic grid to layer his identical and recognizable Men in Bowler hat carrying
a closed umbrella. The effect creates a universe, unlike the world we inhabit.
I recognize a wallpaper grid pattern.
René Magritte,
Golconda, oil on canvas, 1954.
I digress into my passion
for modern art, art history, and surrealism in particular. Where I find the
strongest argument for comparison between Mauricio Vergara and René Magritte's
use of surrealism and his reminder an object isn't exactly what it appears.
Ceci n’est pas une pipe?
René Magritte, The
Treachery of Images, oil paint on canvas, 1928-1929
Viewers navigate Mauricio’s
stories organically. Mauricio Vergara’s interpretations
are very different than Magritte's vast body of art.
Mauricio paints a blue-skied
puffy clouded yellow-hued pasture for his figures often accompanied by a dog,
or a pig and a variety of other animals domesticated or regularly found on a
farm. Occasionally present amongst his
characters are often a white or red home. Vergara's a Surrealist while
remaining bucolic warm in coloration and tone. His use of surrealism is not
alarming or intentionally irritable creating societal commentary. He is not reflecting a highly traumatic
family loss at a pivotal time for a young man discovering his place in the
world.
Mauricio Vergara is an introspective painter. Vergara's
quiet pastoral vignettes are captivating. They invite you to stay a while and
investigate the surroundings. It feels like home, but not your home, and then
one is perhaps thinking about home. What is home? TED talks introduced me to
the speaker Pico Iyer and his talk "where is home?" The concept of
home again returns to Magritte and his challenge to your interpretation of the
formal object and meaning.
In his most recent painting, Vergara
introduces a crane. The crane, in Japanese, Chinese and Korean culture all
represents good fortune and longevity. The connection between heaven and earth
manifests when this water creature takes flight inhabiting both the heavens and
the earth.
Mauricio Vergara, Aquí
No, oil on canvas 38X39”, 2017.
Mauricio's cites a Rioplatanese poet as an influence in his
biography. In summary, it means who you
once were does not determine your precise future ahead. The picture is not complete because the life
is in transition.
Mauricio Vergara is my inaugural exhibition
new permanent home for Phylogeny Contemporary felt quite personally relevant. I
am new in town. I have been
contemplating
Mauricio Vergara Mauricio
Vergara was born in Rio IV, Córdoba, Argentina, in 1971.He is a self-taught
painter. He has been painting since the early 90’s. He is currently living in
Pamplona (Spain) A Rioplatense poet ponders: Where is my life that which it
could have been, and it never was? As he does, I ask myself, who I am? Where is
my life? Where is the person who I once was? Where are those who are not
anymore? Where will I be? Who will I be? Time changes us, but there is
something that always remains. We leave what we were; we look at the past, and
we don ́t recognize ourselves. But, we are them, changed by our deaths and our
lost illusions that will keep us changing. Mauricio’s characters without face
and body want to be an invitation to the spectator to make these questions
theirs and to encourage them to participate in finishing the paintings.
Mauricio Vergara, Necedad, oil on canvas, 38"x 39", 2017
