José Damasceno
16 Sep - 05 Nov 2010
© José Damasceno
Le Bain Animique, 2010
Ceramic sculpture, calcite ball stone, wooden table, daycell blades
120 x 140 x 250 cm.
Le Bain Animique, 2010
Ceramic sculpture, calcite ball stone, wooden table, daycell blades
120 x 140 x 250 cm.
JOSÉ DAMASCENO
"Estudios Paragráficos"
From September 16th to November 5th 2010
Distrito 4 opens the season with the exhibition of José Damasceno Estudios Paragráficos, whose works have been specifically created for this exhibition.
From the start point, defining José Damasceno ́s work is not easy. Adriano Pedrosa has highlighted the fact of the existing duality in his works between “the organic and the physical” and “the geometric and the mathematic” these relations turn into processes that come together with a constructiveness air, hidden under the subjectivity of his works.
Gerardo Mosquera says that this artist is “Simultaneously a paradigm of the path that Brazilian sculpture is leading and an artist of unique personality”. For Mosquera, Damasceno “is a neo-romantic that sees the world as a mystery, in the antipodes of cynicism that reigns in the actual art world. A neo-romantic interested in order and in science which he tries to find through art, through abstract points in space and where math converts into poetry. A neo-romantic whose subjectivity, instead of looking and focusing on the inside and existence of the subject, applies his attention to what is imaginary in the subject. A neo-romantic in whom the ideals of humanism are offered in a Verstehen of things, forces and physic relations of the Universe, of a poetic knowledge of macro and micro, of what surrounds us but is left outside of our dimension”. For him Damasceno is “a poet of the systems”.
Estudios Paragráficos consists of a series of prints that give the title to the exhibition, indicating the pattern for the lines present in the other works, obtained through the process of silkscreen on paper.
They are schematic drawings of a systematic nature that show us demonstrations and representations in a rhythmic way through lines, forms and colors, letting us see the relations that these different elements of information have between them, from their circulation and behavior to the ideas of a fortuitous special order.
In words of the artist: “Here the word paragráfico shows us a sense of proximity, closeness or mediation of the graphic factor, related to inscription, record, with outside and unusual circumstances to regular and normal media. It places us between dimensions. The result is an intermediate place, where space and knowledge mix in together and nurture each other”.
In the other Works, the metaphysical background present in all Damasceno ́s work is patent more than ever. In the piece Grúa, a port cargo hook from which a rope that crosses the gallery is held, going through the latter space connecting with an abstract form that identifies with a stain, like if it were a shadow that converts into an absurd and unusual monument, full of symbolism that outranks our own knowledge, but where poetics and the imaginary architectural space is understood.
In Errante y Le Bain Animique the artist integrates iron and ceramic objects of the XIX century in environments of the XXI century. Like Ligia Canongia says, “The Brazilian combines XIX century sculptures with luminous displays, tea cups, post cards and park benches. But both are a result of objective and catastrophic societies that through the domain of the use of machines, or through the use of computers, they still require the beauty qualities that Lautréamont proclaimed: ́Beauty like the fortuity meeting point on top of a dissection table of a sewing machine and an umbrella ́”.
José Damasceno was born in 1968 in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives and works. His first show took place in this city in 1990, from then on he has participated in many international exhibitions with notable frequency.
Between his solo shows of the past years we would like to mention a few notable ones: Galería Distrito 4, Madrid (2010), Thomas Dane Gallery, London (2010), Cultura Laura Alvim, Río de Janeiro (2009), Galería Fortes Vilaça, Sao Paulo (2009), Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2008), Espace Topographie d l ́Art, 37 Festival de París (2008), Museo Beaubourg, París (2007), The Project, New York y Los Ángeles (2007 y 2005), Galería Artur Fidalgo, Río de Janeiro (2006). Between his group exhibitions, we would like to mention the following: MUSAC, León (2010), MARCO, vigo (2010), Museo de Bellas Artes de Santander (2010), Galería Fortes Vilaça & Galería Bergamin (2009), Fundament Foundation, Tilburg (2008), Museo Patio Herreriano, Valladolid (2008), Palacio de Carvajal, Cáceres (2008), USA Biennal, New Orleans (2008), Museo de Arte del Banco de la República Bogotá (2008), Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Tabakalera, San Sebastián (2008), Centre Pompidou (2008), 53 Biennal de Venecia (2007), Museu de Arte Moderna de Bahía (2007), Biennale of Sydney (2006), Ben Brown Fine Arts, London (2006), Center for Contemporary Art Upper Austria (2006), 51 Biennale de Venecia (2005), Ruzicska, Salzburg (2005).
"Estudios Paragráficos"
From September 16th to November 5th 2010
Distrito 4 opens the season with the exhibition of José Damasceno Estudios Paragráficos, whose works have been specifically created for this exhibition.
From the start point, defining José Damasceno ́s work is not easy. Adriano Pedrosa has highlighted the fact of the existing duality in his works between “the organic and the physical” and “the geometric and the mathematic” these relations turn into processes that come together with a constructiveness air, hidden under the subjectivity of his works.
Gerardo Mosquera says that this artist is “Simultaneously a paradigm of the path that Brazilian sculpture is leading and an artist of unique personality”. For Mosquera, Damasceno “is a neo-romantic that sees the world as a mystery, in the antipodes of cynicism that reigns in the actual art world. A neo-romantic interested in order and in science which he tries to find through art, through abstract points in space and where math converts into poetry. A neo-romantic whose subjectivity, instead of looking and focusing on the inside and existence of the subject, applies his attention to what is imaginary in the subject. A neo-romantic in whom the ideals of humanism are offered in a Verstehen of things, forces and physic relations of the Universe, of a poetic knowledge of macro and micro, of what surrounds us but is left outside of our dimension”. For him Damasceno is “a poet of the systems”.
Estudios Paragráficos consists of a series of prints that give the title to the exhibition, indicating the pattern for the lines present in the other works, obtained through the process of silkscreen on paper.
They are schematic drawings of a systematic nature that show us demonstrations and representations in a rhythmic way through lines, forms and colors, letting us see the relations that these different elements of information have between them, from their circulation and behavior to the ideas of a fortuitous special order.
In words of the artist: “Here the word paragráfico shows us a sense of proximity, closeness or mediation of the graphic factor, related to inscription, record, with outside and unusual circumstances to regular and normal media. It places us between dimensions. The result is an intermediate place, where space and knowledge mix in together and nurture each other”.
In the other Works, the metaphysical background present in all Damasceno ́s work is patent more than ever. In the piece Grúa, a port cargo hook from which a rope that crosses the gallery is held, going through the latter space connecting with an abstract form that identifies with a stain, like if it were a shadow that converts into an absurd and unusual monument, full of symbolism that outranks our own knowledge, but where poetics and the imaginary architectural space is understood.
In Errante y Le Bain Animique the artist integrates iron and ceramic objects of the XIX century in environments of the XXI century. Like Ligia Canongia says, “The Brazilian combines XIX century sculptures with luminous displays, tea cups, post cards and park benches. But both are a result of objective and catastrophic societies that through the domain of the use of machines, or through the use of computers, they still require the beauty qualities that Lautréamont proclaimed: ́Beauty like the fortuity meeting point on top of a dissection table of a sewing machine and an umbrella ́”.
José Damasceno was born in 1968 in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives and works. His first show took place in this city in 1990, from then on he has participated in many international exhibitions with notable frequency.
Between his solo shows of the past years we would like to mention a few notable ones: Galería Distrito 4, Madrid (2010), Thomas Dane Gallery, London (2010), Cultura Laura Alvim, Río de Janeiro (2009), Galería Fortes Vilaça, Sao Paulo (2009), Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2008), Espace Topographie d l ́Art, 37 Festival de París (2008), Museo Beaubourg, París (2007), The Project, New York y Los Ángeles (2007 y 2005), Galería Artur Fidalgo, Río de Janeiro (2006). Between his group exhibitions, we would like to mention the following: MUSAC, León (2010), MARCO, vigo (2010), Museo de Bellas Artes de Santander (2010), Galería Fortes Vilaça & Galería Bergamin (2009), Fundament Foundation, Tilburg (2008), Museo Patio Herreriano, Valladolid (2008), Palacio de Carvajal, Cáceres (2008), USA Biennal, New Orleans (2008), Museo de Arte del Banco de la República Bogotá (2008), Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Tabakalera, San Sebastián (2008), Centre Pompidou (2008), 53 Biennal de Venecia (2007), Museu de Arte Moderna de Bahía (2007), Biennale of Sydney (2006), Ben Brown Fine Arts, London (2006), Center for Contemporary Art Upper Austria (2006), 51 Biennale de Venecia (2005), Ruzicska, Salzburg (2005).