CARLOS ESTRADA-VEGA
Between 12 and 5,000 Paintings
March 12 Æ April 30, 2005
Beginning March 12, d.e.n. contemporary art presents
its second exhibition, Between 12 and 5,000 Paintings, new paintings and
works on paper by Carlos Estrada-Vega. The title of the exhibition refers
to Estrada-Vega’s unique method of creating his paintings. The exhibition
includes twelve paintings that are comprised of a sum total of 5,000 individually-constructed
components, varying in shape, color, and depth.
Estrada-Vega begins each component by stretching canvas over a wooden
block, on which he then applies an impasto of his own paint mixture. Intuitively
arranging several components together, he explores subtleties of texture
and the impact of color, yielding deeply pleasurable compositions.
The paintings in the exhibition range in size measuring from 5-1/2 x 5-1/2”
to 25 x 25”, and employ a myriad of shades, from the earthly desert
hues of “Sonora,” to the soothing pastel washes of “Lucia,”
and the intense reverberation of the multi-chromatic “Rita.”
The palette is unpredictable, yet each piece is focused, and strikes a
different emotional tone.
For his first exhibition with d.e.n. contemporary art, Estrada-Vega continues
the expansion of vocabulary begun a decade ago. In addition to his characteristic
squares, the new paintings introduce rectangular and circular shapes,
seamlessly integrated into his signature constructions. Using seemingly
simple elements of color and shape, Estrada-Vega shows his intuitive understanding
of nuance, harmonics, and intensity in painting.
Estrada-Vega is originally from Mexico and currently lives in Las Cruces,
New Mexico. In addition to the Los Angeles-area, his solo exhibitions
have been featured in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Germany, Switzerland,
and Australia. His work is included in numerous private and public collections
such as Creative Artists Agency, Norton Family Foundation, Long Beach
Museum, The Oakland Museum, Portland Museum, and Museum Katharinenhof,
Germany.
In January 2005, gallerist Donna Enad Napper, founded d.e.n. contemporary
art to promote the work of new and emerging artists working locally, nationally,
and abroad. The gallery is located at 6023 Washington Blvd., Culver City.
Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 to 5:30.
A reception for the artist will be held Saturday, March 12, from 5 to
8 p.m. Between 12 and 5,000 Paintings is on view until April 30.
For additional information and visual material, please contact the gallery
at (310) 559-3023 or info@dencontemporaryart.com