Saner “Primitivo”
Jonathan LeVine Gallery
This event has ended.
Jonathan LeVine Gallery presents Primitivo, a series of new works by Mexican artist Saner, in what will be his debut solo exhibition at the gallery.
Saner’s works are heavily influenced by traditional Mexican customs and folklore. For Primitivo, the artist created lively portraits of characters wearing Nahuale masks reminiscent of those found on the streets of Mexico and according to legend, have the power to transform human beings into animals. Drawing from the visual culture of his everyday life, his paintings are a celebration of the local environment they originate from.
In Primitivo, Saner looks at our rapid urban development and questions the shift away from the natural world. Is modern wo/man really more sophisticated than our ancestors who were physically dependent on the environment? Saner asks the question: “We talk about primitive man as this tough guy, living in a banal and elementary way only focused on basic needs. Modern man no longer has to hunt or provide in such a rudimentary way and yet more than ever we are faced with poverty and war. So are we really living in such a highly developed world?” He poses this question in brightly colored compositions on canvas, paper and wood, in hopes that they will generate change and guide viewers towards a mindset of oneness, as opposed to otherness.
In some of his pieces, Saner analyses what he terms “primitive vision” particularly referencing the political system in Mexico, using the recent mass disappearance and tragic execution of students in Ayotzinapa as a leverage point, Primitivo strives to rediscover the sensitivity and respect for the environment, nature, animals and the lives of all individuals.
Media
Schedule
from January 10, 2015 to February 07, 2015
Opening Reception on 2015-01-10 from 18:00 to 20:00