Press Release

NEW ORLEANS - Heriard-Cimino Gallery presents Rumbo Sur, an exhibition of paintings and mixed media work by Carlos de Villasante. A reception to meet the artist will be held on Saturday, March 6th from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The public is invited. The exhibition will be on view from March 6 - 31, 2010. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment.


ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:

Carlos de Villasante paints on canvas, linen, patterned fabric and metal car hoods. His Rumbo Sur series is filled with ancient and contemporary gestures, symbols and mark making. His work incorporates strong calligraphic lines surrounding his rather mystical figures. Two of his new paintings are subtle, patterned fabric with a striking minimalist approach, introducing the artist’s lone subject and symbol. The dance between the subtle and the kaleidoscope of imagery allows viewers to consider the meditative qualities of Villasante’s work as well as luxuriating in his dense maze of colors, shapes and his own inventive iconography and glyphs.

The artist comments on his series, “My work is an improvisational format where I follow intuitive suggestions, accidents and interventions. I use automatic mark-making to oppose precise graphic representation in my portraits. I then rely on my sensibilities to suggest which next step to take, much like in theatre where the audience suggestions guide the performance.”


ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Carlos de Villasante was born in Mexico City. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Memphis College of Art. Villasante received a significant 2002 Fellowship Award for Visual and Media Artists in South Florida. He has had solo and group exhibitions in New York, Spain, Miami, New Orleans, Memphis and Cambridge, MA. In 1995 he exhibited at the Havana Biennial in Cuba and was selected for the 2001 New Orleans Museum of Art Triennial. He recently moved from Miami, Florida to California, where he is on the painting faculty at Sonoma State University.