think.21

From 22 January to 06 March 2010
Opening 21 January 2010 from 6pm to 9pm

Think.21 is pleased to present an exhibition of Works by Vargas-Suarez Universal (b. 1972 ). He is a contemporary artist living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Born in Mexico City, he was raised in the Houston suburb Clear Lake City adjacent to the Johnson Space Center (NASA). From 1991-1996 he studied astronomy and art history at the
University of Texas at Austin.

Many different projections and expectations tend to influence our perception of the unknown. In his paintings, Vargas-Suarez explores abstraction based on diverse forms of the unknown. He is using various precise methods, as a central means for creating complex, layered, linear compostions, which are the source of his creative integrity. Closely following both the American and Russian space programs, his E.V.A. (Extravehicular Activity, also known as «spacewalks») series, reveals to be more than a simple inspiration of abstract a esthetic style in painting. His linear «vectors» are one of his main constructive components that dominate his paintings, works on
paper, and wall drawings. The «vectors» define the boundaries between fictional and real space, as well as between positive and negative space.

Seen in a 21st century context, pieces like «Cosmodrome Vectors» reflects a challenging visual experience, modifying our perception about a new generation of abstract painters. Vargas-Suarez uses a specific and methodical approach in his artistic practice by using the «vector» as a principal shape.

Another example of his methodical approach is the central reference in «Next Green Sphere: Topology» (2008). In this large-scale work the artist uses photographic images from the Mars Global Surveyor satellite to create an organic composition, based on Martian topography, infused with vectors, as well as the outlines of wood grain from the same panel supports he paints on. By remotely looking at another planet to make a painting, the work reveals constant research for unknown landscapes where no human eye could previously see.

Like the square in Joseph Albers’ paintings containing a powerful geometric presence, Vargas-Suarez’s «vectors» are able to define and divide organic and architectural lines inviting the viewer into the unfamiliar landscape.