Alvaro Paz / The Death of Mantegna

Alvaro Paz / The Death of Mantegna
Gallery 1313,  Process Gallery
September 19 – October 14, 2012

There is a tension lingering in the room where Alvaro Paz’ work hangs. The violence is unmistakable. Four large pieces, one small – the mixed media paintings of this Venezuelan artist express the plight of angry, dead or disfigured subjects. To respond to these images is to respond to their sense of immediacy. The frantic, unpredictable lines beg a listener. These are scenes that echo the cacophony of street noise, barking dogs and the moans of naked, despondent and mutilated women.

The Death of Mantegna, 2010, mixed media on canvas, 59 x 78 inches

Paz uses contemporary and classical subjects to address issues that people in Latin America are facing. The gestural nature of his images suggests an urgency and gives movement and tactility to his work. Often composed of vibrant primary colours, the frame of the canvas for Dogs appears to be the only thing that cages the ferocity of Paz’ hostile and layered canines. Dogs, which are often seen as creatures of the underworld, and which also run wild in Venezuela, are another entry into the themes of religion, society and morality, where the viewer bears witness.

Dogs, 2011, mixed media on canvas, 59 x 39 inches

His piece About Mantegna and Mia XIV, purposely drawn from the Lamentation Over the Dead Christ by Renaissance painter Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). In Paz’s version the foreshortened figure is mourned by no one, he is alone, dead in a world cloaked in darkness and the aggressive application of raw black paint to canvas.

About Mantegna and Mia XIV, 2008,  mixed media on raw linen canvas, 62 x 39 inches

Within these dysphoric scenes of destruction and decay moroseness lays. The destitute situation of Paz’s subjects is made absolute by the absence of their arms and hands, an indication of helplessness. Paz’s figures exist without defense, victims of uncontrolled violence.

Gift, 2010, mixed media on canvas, 47 x 39 inches

Many questions surface in the presence of these works. Is this a comment on the death of Andrea Mantegna himself? Are these works about the degradation of society, and the corruption of and defacing of women?  What personal relationship and connection does Paz carry for his subjects? What answers does he have for these issues?

The best way to come to an understanding of Alvaro Paz’ work is to see it for oneself. The Death of Mantegna is on view at Gallery 1313 until October 14, 2012. www.g1313.org