Uróboro

This work emerges as a contemporary interpretation of Antonio Berni’s legacy, particularly in dialogue with Nightmare of the Unjust (1961), one of his pieces most loaded with social criticism and symbolic density. In addition to Berni, I was also inspired by Herbert W. Franke to think about the non-fixed generative elements of the work. From this last artist I was inspired by the work Light Forms (1953-1955). In my work you can see a coastal part in the composition with a calm tide accompanied by moving clouds and a tower being struck by lightning in the middle of the composition.

Technical, aesthetic and conceptual development

Formally, the composition takes as its trigger the surrealist planes that Berni sometimes uses not only in painting but also in some of his metal sculptures. The conceptual combination of Berni’s monsters with his recycled metal materials was what inspired me to look for a more dystopian aesthetic. The inclusion of stronger contrasts seemed very successful to me, not only with the idea of ​​the work, but also with the multimedia medium of the work and the search for a surreal atmosphere. Taking Berni’s visual and thematic universe as a starting point, the work seeks to represent current events from a surrealist plane through the use of symbolic language.

Originally the work was going to be a still image but after reading Brea’s text, specifically her opinion on pixel-art, I decided to explore new capabilities within this medium. In his texts he maintains that there is a correlation between the exploration of the limits of his area and the creation of legitimate art. This led me to include moving sequences and conceptualize a symbolic meaning for these elements in addition to considering what meaning I can add to the fact that these elements have movement.

In addition to Berni, the work Light Forms (1953-1955) by Herbert W. Franke helped me think about the inclusion of the generative element in movement within the project. Seeing that work gave me the idea of ​​putting wave-shaped clouds that move cyclically in the sky with the intention of portraying the cyclical nature of Argentine history.

Inspired by the use of religious symbology within Berni’s works, I incorporated “The Tower”, a tarot symbol, as a conceptual pillar of the work to portray current events. A coastal part can also be seen in the composition with a constant tide that seeks to represent the perpetual tension present today.

My intention was not to replicate the style of the works of Berni or Franke, but to take as a starting point some of the central themes that Berni develops and reinterpret those issues on the current level, taking advantage of the representative capacities in a multimedia support. My work is presented as a premonitory nightmare that seeks to represent the excessive and growing tension of today.

Literature

BREA, José Luis. (2008). “Redefinición de las prácticas artísticas (s. 21)” en El tercer umbral. Estatuto de las prácticas artísticas en la era del capitalismo cultural. Murcia: CENDEAC, pp. 106-113.

BREA, José Luis. (2002). “Breve (y desordenado) antiglosario –o diccionario de tópicos- sobre el arte electrónico” en La era postmedia. Acción comunicativa, prácticas (post)artísticas y dispositivos neomediales. Salamanca: CASA Editorial, pp. 4-8

Hacia una estética del arte generativo [Towards a generative art aesthetics] Video de KNNV en Youtube