|
Inspired
by politics and cartography, Joan Belmar has often devised pieces in
which images are partly hidden by ribbons or rounds of Mylar. There are
just a few such constructions in “Cambalache,” the Chile-bred local
artist’s show at Addison/Ripley Fine Art. Most of the works are
mixed-media paintings that layer circles, grids, seemingly rocky
expanses and place names. The dominant tones of these moon- or
planet-scapes are black and gray, sometimes set off by one brighter hue,
usually red or blue. “Cambalache” (“barter”) is the title of a
1930s tango composed for a film that condemned political corruption in
Argentina. The political import of Belmar’s recent work is not blatant,
but he’s clearly pondering the climate in his adopted hometown. The
names that punctuate these maplike pictures are not those of distant
worlds: They identify cities and towns in the region that runs from
Pennsylvania to Virginia. Affixed
directly to the walls, the many small globes of “Cambalache: Twenty
States” orbit a larger semicircle. This is the most flamboyant piece in a
show notable for its subtlety. Using little color and only occasionally
venturing into 3-D, Belmar relies on a strong graphic sense to craft
some of the strongest work he’s shown in Washington. Joan Belmar: Cambalache
On view through May 27 at Addison/Ripley Fine Art, 1670 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-338-5180. addisonripleyfineart.com. The
Expansive Worlds Of Joan Belmar: Cartographer, political commentator,
musicologist, passionate observer, Joan Belmar exemplifies these skills
in addition to his quite proven mastery of his art. That cosmology comes
together in his third exhibition at Addison/Ripley in bold two and
three dimensional compositions which, by choice, strongly align with
current events. Organized around the evocative exhibition title,
Cambalache, the artist references both some of the musical culture of
his birth and, in a recurring design motif, the, not so civic, U.S.
political scene today in these new works. Cambalache is the name of a
tango written in 1935 by Argentinian Enrique Santos Discepolo for the
film, The Soul of the Accordian, which was overtly critical of
Argentinian 20th Century corruption and initially banned by several
dictatorial regimes . The familiar but deceptive simplicity of the circle and line
structure of Belmar’s paintings and constructions allows a rich range of
palettes, at times earthy and quietly ashen, and, at others, rainbow
bright. The complexity of his compositions allows the viewer to become
lost in even the smallest work.Utilizing vinyl, acetate, wood and mylar
in addition to traditional vehicles of paper and canvas, the artist
constructs layers and layers real and illusory depth, demarcations of
line and material. The sharp tap of a flamenco heel mingles here with
the mellow, smoke tinged voice of a 1930s Southern Cone cantor in Tango y
Vino bars. A practicing artist in Washington since 1999, Joan Belmar synthesizes
his perceptions of the division, corruption and low values that
sometimes challenges our civil society into brilliant, joy filled paeans
to hope. As the artist states: “I play with light, transparencies and
the sculptural qualities of these elements in order to evoke the
concepts that are important in my work: Time, change and movement.” Originally from Santiago, Chile, Belmar was the recipient of The
Maryland Arts Council Individual Artist Award in both 2010 and 2013. He
was a finalist for the D.C. Mayor’s Art Award as Outstanding Artist in
2007 and went on to receive D.C. fellowships in 2009 and 2010. In 2016,
the artist received the First Award for Original Artwork at the Osten
Biennial of Drawing in Skopje, Macedonia. |
|
|
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS AND RESIDENCIES CARBON 12 Art Project Residency, Jaipur/Delhi, India, 2016 First Award for Original Artwork, Biennial of Drawing, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, 2016 Maryland State Art Council Award, Painting, 2013 Individual Artist Grant, Arts and Humanities Council
of Montgomery County (AHCMC) 2015 Spaces de lumiere. Artist’s residence. Vilnius/Palanga/Paris.
Kazimieras Zoromskis art foundation. Vilnius, Lithuania 2011 Maryland State Art Council
Award, Painting, 2010 Artist Fellowship,
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC, 2009 Finalist, Mayor’s Art Award, Outstanding Emerging Artist, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington,
DC, 2007 Olympic Games Athens 2004, “Artiade,” Athens,
Greece, 2004 First Prize, Collage, National Artists
Association, ACEA, Barcelona, Spain, 2000 B I B L I O G R A F I A - Wall Street International http://wsimag.com/art/25203-joan-belmar _The Washington Post. . Joan Belmar Cambalache. By Mark
Jenkins May 18,2017 - The Washington Post.
(Mention). Museums. In the galleries. The looking glass By Mark Jenkins July,30,2017 - The Washington Post.
Getting ‘Personal’ at King Street. By Mark Jenkins. Nov 13,2015 - City Paper. “The
Looking Glass: Artist Immigrants of Washington” Katzen, (Mention) Reviewed By John Andersen - The Studio Visit Moments and Observations in Joan Belmar’s Studio. Yayo Tavolara September 28, 2015 DC Metro Arts. By Maggie Gurlay April 2015 The Washington Post. With wires and beads, exhibits dangle intrigue in front of visitor’s eyes By Mark Jenkins. February 20, 2015 - Sun Gazzete. Subtle spheres, shapes take center stage at McLean Project for Arts. By Brian Trompeter -The Washington Post. CHORDS Liberto. By Mark Jenkins. Oct 3, 2014
-Artsy Editorial. Harmony and Dissonance
Imagined in the Abstractions of Joan Belmar. June 7, 2014. By Emily Nathan Artsy editorial. New York, NY -Modern/Luxury Magazine. Fairs to remember By Max Fishko
-American Art Collector."Art Fair Preview:
Contemporary Showcase. July , 2014
-Blouin Artinfo. 3 Hamptons Fairs Bring Art to the Beach. By Ashton Cooper. July 07, 2014
-Color Redivivus: Abstract Music From Washington by Donald Kuspit. March 03, 2014
-Open Studio Magazine. Curated by Barbara O'Brien of Kemper Museum. Dec, 2014
-The Washington Post. Bethesda Painting
Awards By Mark Jenkins. Jun 14, 2013
-The Washington Post.‘Sigil’ art exhibition at Addison Ripley By Michael O’Sullivan.
Jun 6, 2013
-The Washington Post. Joan Belmar arrives to America. By Mark Jenkins. Nov 1, 2012
-L'Artiste magazine. Take me to the
River. France. Jan, 2012
-The Examiner. Artist profile: Joan
Belmar by Stephen Mack. August 1, 2011
-The Washington Post. Restore: Japan. By Stephanie Merry. March 30, 2011
-American Contemporary Magazine. New Art to the Nation's Capital. By Lenny Campello. April/May, 2010
-Washington Hispanic. Family Place Exhibe Sin Fronteras- Art without Frontiers. Nov 14,
2008
-Washington Post. Migration: Universal Truths. By Michael O’Sullivan. Jan 4, 2008
-The News Leader. Inspired by Duchamp artist aims to disorient. By Maria Longley. July 10, 2008
-The Examiner. Seeing way beyond, deep, within.. or a reflection? By Robin Tierney.May 26, 2007
-Carroll County times.Nuances of Life. By Pam Zappardino.June 04, 2007 -Washington Post/Express. Game of Illusions. By Robin Tierney. May 26, 2008
-Fall Church news Northern Virginia. Art Beat. By Kevin Mellema. Dec 11, 2008
-Washington Blade. Chile’s artistic ambassador.By Joe Howley. Sept 12, 2004
-El Tiempo Latino. Arte lo lleva a las olimpiadas de Atenas. By Milagros M. Vela. August
6, 2004
-El Mercurio. Joan Belmar en olimpiadas. By Perdro Gandolfo. August 1, 2004
-La Tercera. Dos Chilenos. By Rodrigo Miranda. Nov 08, 2004
-La Ultima hora Ibiza. Joan Belmar: Mi carrera comenzo en Ibiza. By TCR
-El Tiempo Latino. Artista chileno expone en DC. By Milagros M. Vela. August 07, 2004 -El Tiempo Latino. Talento hispano en Londres. By Milagros M. Vela. Nov 14, 2003
-Washington Blade. The Atmosphere of Glass. By Greg Varner. Jan 12, 2001
-Diario de Ibiza. Joan Belmar. Del diseňo al arte en libertad. By Julio Herranz. -Diario de Ibiza. Azul. By Jose Manuel Piňa. -Ultima Hora Ibiza. Elementos figuarivos tras la abstraccion. Vicenç Fenollosa. -El Mundo. El Arte Moderno Aterriza En La Ciudad Eternal. Arteroma 97. By R. Montoya. Nov
29, 1997
|