“To me the investigation of perception was of the greatest interest. There was so much to see, and it all looked fantastic to me”. E.K
This exhibition is inspired on by Ellsworth Kelly’s work.
His work inspires me to think, to play, to explore the essence of colors and the relationship between them.
I found in his major series of paintings: “Spectrum” one of my favorites pieces of abstract art. It is a composition of colors from the spectrum.
“Spectrum VI”, a group of 13 single-color canvases arranged in a horizontal row from 1969, was my starting point for this project, which includes collage on canvas, drawings and a site specificinstallation.
Why Kelly?
because Kelly is one of America‘s greatest 20th Centuryabstract artists.
because he developed Minimalism, Hard-edge painting, Color Field, and Pop Art.
because he was a bird watcher when he was a child
because he found inspiration everywhere
because he became somewhat of a loner
because he was an outsider living in France during the happy days of Abstract Expressionism in New York
because he combined fragments
because he made collage
because he inverted the ell
because in all his series there is always a black and white painting
because of the Rainbow
because his paintings hit me
because of his large formats
because he joined together canvases
because he worked in series
because all his works originated in drawings
Because as Simon Schama has written, all Kelly’s work begins with a moment of “perceptual serendipity” -a shadow, a reflection, a partly obscured object or shape- from which he then shares away a visual fragment.
Because of all that and more I take Ellsworth Kelly’s hand,
Thank you for all and for so much
Alejandra Padilla
March 2016 Buenos Aires
ALEJANDRA PADILLA Contemporary artist, Alejandra Padilla was born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina in 1961. She studied journalism at the J.F.Kennedy University in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Art History at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) Early in her career she worked as a journalist, art dealer and as an art curator. She still works as an art advisor. In 1994 she presented her first artwork as a visual artist when she participated in her first group show in Buenos Aires Argentina. She had his first solo exhibition in 1997 at the Ricardo Rojas Cultural Art Center, Buenos Aires. Since then she has been featured in many group exhibitions, awards, art fairs, international group exhibitions and 16 solo shows. She had his first solo exhibition in 1997 at the Ricardo Rojas Cultural Art Center, Buenos Aires and sixteen solo shows since then. Alejandra lives and works in Argentina and the USA. SOLO EXHIBITIONS -2016 « Tribute to Ellsworth Kelly », 2013, « ∞ » : Praxis Chelsea, New York -2012 « Preludios », 2010 « Reformas », 2008 « Serendipia », 2007 « Poliscopía », 2005 « 1= ∞ », 2002 « Sin Título »: Galería Rubbers, Buenos Aires. -2008 « Serendipia Virtual » : Red Galería, Buenos Aires. -2015 « Collages & Drawings », 2010 « Reformas », 2001 « Providencia »: Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts (DLFA), Miami. -2000 Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts (DLFA), Buenos Aires. -1999 Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires. -1998 Consulado Argentino, New York City. -1997 Centro Cultural Ricardo Rojas, Buenos Aires. SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2015 Art London, ArtFiera Bologna, Expo Chicago, ArtMiami, 105 Salón Nacional, Pintura, Salas Nacionales, Argentina 2014 ArteFiera Bologna, Texas Contemporary Art Fair, Houston, Art Miami 2013 Art Wynwood, ArteFiera Bologna, Art London Pulse Miami ArteBa 2012 PINTA, Praxis Chelsea Gallery – New York, USA – Pulse, Diana Lowenstein Art Gallery, Miami, USA – Texas Contemporary Art Fair, Diana Lowenstein Art Gallery – Houston, USA – Expo Chicago, Diana Lowenstein Art Gallery – Chicago, USA – Summer Show, Praxis Art Gallery – New York, USA – PULSE, Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts Gallery, Metropolitan Pavillion – New York, USA – ArteAméricas, Rubbers Art Gallery – Miami, USA ArteBA, Galería Rubbers, Bs As. Arteamericas, Galería Rubbers, Miami. Art Bologna, DLFA, Bolonia. 2011 Pulse, DLFA, Miami – Houston Art Fair, DLFA, Houston. 2010 Photo exhibition, Galería Phoebus, Rotterdam. Buenos Aires Photo, Galería Rubbers. Art Chicago, DLFA, Chicago – Art Bologna, DLFA, Bolonia. ArteBa, Galeria Rubbers, Bs.As. 2009 Premio Banco Nación, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Bs.As. 98 Salón Nacional de Artes Visuales. Palais de Glace, Bs.As. 2008 Casa de la Cultura, Bs.As. Art Dubai, DLFA, Dubai. 2007 ArteBa, Galería Rubbers. 2006 Art Colonia, DLFA, Germany. 2005 ArteBa, Galeria Rubbers. 2004 Art Basel, DLFA, Miami. 2003 Art Chicago, DLFA, Chicago. Art/35/Basel, DLFA, Basilea. 2002 ArteBa, Galería Rubbers, Bs.As. Phoebus, Rotterdam. 2001 Art/32/Basel, DLFA, Basilea. ARCO, DLFA, Madrid. Art Miami, DLFA, Miami. Art Palm Beach, DLFA, Florida. Premio a la Creatividad en Artes Visuales, Fondo Nacional de las Artes, Bs.As. 2000 ARCO, DLFA, Madrid. Art Cicago, DLFA, Chicago. Art Miami, DLFA, Miami. Premio Banco Nación, Centro Cultural Recoleta, Bs As. Salón Manuel Belgrano, Museo Sívori, Bs As. 1999 Art/30/Basel, DLFA, Basilea. ARCO, Der Brucke, Madrid. Art Chicago, DLFA, Chicago. Galeria Ernst Hilger, Viena. Casa de América, Madrid. Her work is in important international private collections as well as part of the collections of prestigious museums and institutions including: Fundación Fortabat (Argentina), Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art, University of Texas at Austin (US) and the University of Essex Art Collection (Colchester, England). AWARDS 2015 Mention,105 Salón Nacional de Artes Visuales 2015, Buenos Aires, Argentina – Creative Woman 2014, Award City Bank Argentina 2009 3rd Price in painting, 98 Salón Nacional de Artes Visuales 2009, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 1999 National Scholarship, Fondo Nacional de las Artes, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 1998 Honarable Mention, Fondo Nacional de las Artes, “Creativity in Visual Arts Awards », Buenos Aires, Argentina – 1997 Honorable Mention, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, “INET Awards”, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 1996 Honorable Mention, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, “Austria Awards”, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 1995 Honorable Mention, CAYC, “Gunther Awards”, Buenos Aires, Argentina – Silver Medal, Museo Rosa Galisteo de Rodríguez, “Salón anual de Santa Fé”, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
