Affinities: Latin American Art

Latin American Masters presents Affinities: Amaral, Szyszlo, Toledo. The exhibition explores the confluence of Modernism and pre-Hispanic cultures in the work of three important artists.

Olga de Amaral (b. Colombia) is unique among contemporary Latin American artists, creating works that are essentially unclassifiable. Amaral expanded the formal possibilities of textiles with the incorporation of paint and precious metals. Her art became progressively conceptual, embracing strategies associated with painting, sculpture and architecture. At once sensual and otherworldly, Olga de Amaral's art makes a singular contribution to the history of abstract art.

The paintings of Fernando de Szyszlo (b. Peru) reflect a deep understanding of Modern and pre-Hispanic cultures. A master of light and shadow, Szyszlo invented an abstract language that combines the gestural power of Abstract Expressionism with forms and colors inspired by Peru's ancient civilizations. Szyszlo's mysterious imagery suggests monumental architecture, totemic forms, and interiors where ceremonial violence and the erotic co-exist. Fernando de Szyszlo is regarded as one of the most influential painters to emerge from Post-War Latin America.

Widely regarded as Mexico's greatest living artist, Francisco Toledo received his first solo museum exhibition in the U.S. at age 19 (Fort Worth Museum, Texas). A restless innovator, with a formal range that includes painting, sculpture, and printmaking, Toledo's investigation of diverse materials reflects a world-view unbounded by category or hierarchy. Toledo is the subject of a series of new monograms (eight volumes) published by CitiBanamex, Fomento Cultural Banamex, A.C.

For more information on this exhibition, please contact the gallery at (310) 829-4455, or visit our website at LatinAmericanMasters.com.