Pequeños Cráters

The Frank Lloyd Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of new paintings from Mexico by renowned artist Vicente Rojo. The six works are drawn from Rojo's most recent series, the Pequeños Cráters. These modestly-sized works have exceedingly sculptural surfaces with highly developed textures and a refined, limited use of color. In these essentially abstract constructions, Rojo repeats the motif of the circle, referencing the natural cycles of volcano and crater.

Rojo, who is also an experienced graphic designer and sculptor, puts these skills to work in his newest paintings. Using mixed media over wood, Rojo creates sculptural surfaces organized by geometric forms. Working down into the wood, he embeds his shapes into the surface, making them function both as form and surface geometry. In the Pequeños Cráters series, he repeats a circular motif, referencing the hollow, embedded form left after volcanic activity. Some of the compositions are highly organized, with concentric circles receding below the surface in even terraces. Others are more organic, their randomly placed pits and craters suggesting the surface of an alien planet.

This exhibition is presented concurrently with an exhibition of sculpture by renowned Mexican ceramist Gustavo Pérez. Pérez and Rojo, both based in Mexico, have developed a longstanding friendship and artistic dialogue through years of following each other's work. The opportunity to exhibit together in Los Angeles enriches this dialogue and brings it to a new audience. This exhibition of contemporary works from Mexico continues the gallery's mission of introducing established international artists to a Los Angeles audience.

Vicente Rojo, one of Mexico's leading contemporary artists, was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1932. He studied painting and sculpture there before moving to Mexico in 1949. He exhibited his paintings for the first time in Mexico in 1958 and since then has developed an extensive career as a painter, sculptor, and graphic designer. Active internationally, he has been honored with many solo and retrospective exhibitions. Retrospective exhibitions include the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Mexico (1973), the University of Texas, Austin (1978), the Museum of Modern Art, Mexico (1981, 1996), the Klingspor Museum, Frankfurt (1992) and Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid (1997). This is his first exhibition at the Frank Lloyd Gallery.