NYAB Event - Gonzalo Papantonakis "Spirits in the Material World"

Gonzalo Papantonakis "Spirits in the Material World"

gallery nine 5

This event has ended.

gallery nine5 presents a series of paintings by Gonzalo Papantonakis in his third solo exhibition at the gallery.

Spirits in the Material World takes its title from “The Police” song of the same name. The lyrics, calling on our notions of what it takes to create real change, serve as a backdrop for the exhibit. Inspired by international political events, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street and the global rumblings in between, the artist’s mixed media paintings serve as a footnote to the revolutionary potential of the future, while paying homage to the tools that unify individuals eager to act against a broken system. Papantonakis pays special attention to social media, often credited with uniting voices that are otherwise silenced.

In these emotionally complex and symbolically rich works, the artist conflates his own memories with artifacts from print and news media, as well as the recognizable icons of our digital existence. Using his signature vocabulary of flora, musical characters, and mirror-image text, the artist considers the changes of the last three years, while charging the work with personal details like photographs, to connect the global story to his own narrative. As in past series, Papantonakis incorporates elements of collage, paper, canvas and wood. Because the artist’s latest paintings have become rooted in current events, repeated elements throughout the body of work have a direct correlation to images strewn across televisions in recent history.

The bandanas in this series, representations of revolutionary action, offer a double meaning. Serving as protection from tear gas often thrown at demonstrators, the paisley design on each bandana exemplifies a mass of people, marching together. Religious symbolism is given prominence as well. Angry Birds, 2013, features Horus, the god of war and protection and one of the most recognizable gods of Ancient Egypt, juxtaposed with Twitter birds and characters from a popular game. The painting gives a nod to the region responsible for igniting the spark of the Arab Spring, and the technological platforms that helped spread the message. The combination of disparate yet related images speaks to the way a symbol can ricochet through history, as well as spread an idea en masse.

Based in Los Angeles, Papantonakis spent his childhood between Uruguay and Argentina before traveling extensively within Europe and the United States. The artist’s work is held in prestigious collections throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America, Australia and Asia. Papantonakis has also completed numerous site-specific works including a monumental installation at the Thompson Hotel (Thom Bar) in New York City.