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 Excelsior hotel Ernst graphite and collage 12 1/2"x 8 1/2" 1981 |
 untitled graphite and conte drawing 9 1/2" X 12 1/2" 1979 |
 untitled mix media on paper 10" X 7 1/2" 1978 |
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November 1998 To mark the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Trans-avantgarde movement, Artcore is presenting a selection of works by founding member Mimmo Paladino. One of the most important movements in contemporary art in the last quarter of this century, the Trans-avantgarde was born in Italy in 1978 as an affirmation of the renewal of painting. At a time when the major focus of contemporary art had shifted to New York, it represented the assertion of a new painting while also addressing relations to past tradition, rejecting the notion of progress and calling freely, not programmatically, on a rich cultural and artistic heritage. Paladino's work reflects images of our culture, but it is never narrative. His figures for the most part are passive and seem to be spectators in unknown rituals or scenes. His use of masks, skulls, fragmented bodies and ambiguous animals give an unmistakeably archaic, mythic content to his work, but one which is fluid and non-specific. In this sense, it is a conceptual art, as the viewer must look to his or her subconscious for the referents of these images. Paladino has expressed his dislike for an art which declares itself simply, with no sense of mystery. For him, art is ritual and should ask questions, never give answers. Nothing in his work is real, he says, and everything represents a constant movement, not towards the exterior, but towards the inner world. This interest in all that is mysterious, secret and forgotten and "not only in art" is perhaps reflected in the wide variety of media the artist has used. This exhibition includes representative drawing, painting, sculpture and prints. Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 - 5:00 For information, telephone (416) 920 3820 |