A program of Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá
A cultural program of:
A program of Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá
A cultural program of:
Geometric abstraction in Latin America traces its beginnings in concretism through the theories of Theo Van Doesburgh (1918) generating a decade later the Constructivist manifesto through the "Circle and Square" group (1931) that counted the Uruguayan artist Joaquín Torres García, among its founders and whose return to Latin America (1934) gave birth to a geometric artistic tradition later evolving into one of the most important artistic identities of the region, parting from the traditional established canons and establishing links to the then post-war artistic trends of the European continent.
The study of the historical evolution of concretism in Latin America in our previous exhibits has led us to discover the connections of geometric abstraction in Colombia in the hitherto unknown facet of one of the great representatives of the genre, Master artist Jorge Riveros.
The purpose of the Elvira Moreno Gallery is to present the most seminal works in the artistic evolution of master Riveros and to present for the first time in his exhibition history his links as a founder member of one of the most influential artistic groups in Post-War Europe, the Semikolon. Kunstergruppe in Germany (1968).
The exhibition emphasizes the primary use by the artist of materials such as wood in sculptural totemic forms, public identity of the group in the city of Bonn in the 1960's, the use of such in monochrome wall reliefs, and woodcut prints (vintage xilogravures) presenting a historical review of never before exhibited works in the artistic life of Maestro Jorge Riveros.
Elvira Moreno Gallery is a space that represents established national and international artists with an intermediate career. Cultivating an interdisciplinary program and highlighting contemporary art, it focuses on artists with extensive experience, it also has spaces for the youngest, to contribute to the development of the local art scene.
It is a place designed to facilitate dialogues between the viewer, the work of art and the artists, from the different aspects of contemporary art and the inclusion of national and international references of modern art, which provide a fundamental context to contemporary artistic production.
Our visitors will have the opportunity to interact directly with the creative processes of the artists, participating in talks, conferences, educational workshops and visits to their work space
Jorge Riveros was born on November 10, 1934 in Ocaña, Norte de Santander. Always following the golden mean or golden ratio as a mathematical and aesthetic principle, he has devoted his life to painting as a spiritual practice, as a way to elevate life and dignify reality. He studied Fine Arts at the National University of Colombia from 1951 to 1956, the year in which he obtained the title of Master in Painting and Professor of Drawing. In 1960 he had his first solo exhibition of figurative-impressionist work. Riveros started as a figurative painter and his progressive transformation as an abstract artist came to completion while living and working in Germany. In 1964 he traveled to Europe, where he took an Art History course at the Institute of Hispanic Culture and completed his specialization in Mural Painting at the School of Fine Arts in Madrid, Spain. A year later, in 1965, he moved to Germany and held several solo and group exhibitions in different cities in this country. In 1969 he ventured into geometric abstraction and joined the group of artists known as “Semikolon”. In 1975 he decided to return to Colombia and became a professor at the prestigious School of Fine Arts at the Universidad Nacional. Throughout all the following years, Riveros stands out for his generosity, dedication and great responsibility with his work. In the 1980s and 1990s, he developed his Constructivist painting, with a clear influence from pre-Colombian art, as it approached a lyrical abstraction, where the brushstrokes, a wide range of dark colors, archetypal elements, and architectural and ornamental forms, become more evident. His production of the period is extensive and shows an artist venturing into improvisation, spontaneity, and expression. Starting in 1997, and more rigorously after 2010, Riveros resumed his sketches made in Germany four decades ago—many of them drawn with pencil on small pieces of paper and cardboard—to continue exploring the essence of painting. In 1999 his activity as a teacher ended. During this same year, the Norte de Santander Governorate decreed to include the life and work of Jorge Riveros in the school curriculum. Nowadays, Riveros continues to work incessantly with, in his own words, “ruler and compass,” to return to a pure and concrete abstraction that looks fresher than ever today. Riveros “reappears” at a time when the historical revision of Latin American art, and its diffusion through exhibitions and publications, is increasingly present in the United States and Europe. The artist affinity with today’s aesthetic sensibilities, the current interests and tastes, is recognizable, because through direct and simple statements, and at his 86 years, he has always practice the art of painting as a defense of reason, a meditative tool, a platform for spiritual elevation and a defense against the weaknesses of the human being. Throughout his artistic career, he has worked mainly acrylic and oil paintings, metal sculptures and projects for public spaces. Currently, he also creates reliefs and totems in wood.
Jorge Riveros was born on November 10, 1934 in Ocaña, Norte de Santander. Always following the golden mean or golden ratio as a mathematical and aesthetic principle, he has devoted his life to painting as a spiritual practice, as a way to elevate life and dignify reality. He studied Fine Arts at the National University of Colombia from 1951 to 1956, the year in which he obtained the title of Master in Painting and Professor of Drawing. In 1960 he had his first solo exhibition of figurative-impressionist work. Riveros started as a figurative painter and his progressive transformation as an abstract artist came to completion while living and working in Germany. In 1964 he traveled to Europe, where he took an Art History course at the Institute of Hispanic Culture and completed his specialization in Mural Painting at the School of Fine Arts in Madrid, Spain. A year later, in 1965, he moved to Germany and held several solo and group exhibitions in different cities in this country. In 1969 he ventured into geometric abstraction and joined the group of artists known as “Semikolon”. In 1975 he decided to return to Colombia and became a professor at the prestigious School of Fine Arts at the Universidad Nacional. Throughout all the following years, Riveros stands out for his generosity, dedication and great responsibility with his work. In the 1980s and 1990s, he developed his Constructivist painting, with a clear influence from pre-Colombian art, as it approached a lyrical abstraction, where the brushstrokes, a wide range of dark colors, archetypal elements, and architectural and ornamental forms, become more evident. His production of the period is extensive and shows an artist venturing into improvisation, spontaneity, and expression. Starting in 1997, and more rigorously after 2010, Riveros resumed his sketches made in Germany four decades ago—many of them drawn with pencil on small pieces of paper and cardboard—to continue exploring the essence of painting. In 1999 his activity as a teacher ended. During this same year, the Norte de Santander Governorate decreed to include the life and work of Jorge Riveros in the school curriculum. Nowadays, Riveros continues to work incessantly with, in his own words, “ruler and compass,” to return to a pure and concrete abstraction that looks fresher than ever today. Riveros “reappears” at a time when the historical revision of Latin American art, and its diffusion through exhibitions and publications, is increasingly present in the United States and Europe. The artist affinity with today’s aesthetic sensibilities, the current interests and tastes, is recognizable, because through direct and simple statements, and at his 86 years, he has always practice the art of painting as a defense of reason, a meditative tool, a platform for spiritual elevation and a defense against the weaknesses of the human being. Throughout his artistic career, he has worked mainly acrylic and oil paintings, metal sculptures and projects for public spaces. Currently, he also creates reliefs and totems in wood.
Jorge Riveros was born on November 10, 1934 in Ocaña, Norte de Santander. Always following the golden mean or golden ratio as a mathematical and aesthetic principle, he has devoted his life to painting as a spiritual practice, as a way to elevate life and dignify reality. He studied Fine Arts at the National University of Colombia from 1951 to 1956, the year in which he obtained the title of Master in Painting and Professor of Drawing. In 1960 he had his first solo exhibition of figurative-impressionist work. Riveros started as a figurative painter and his progressive transformation as an abstract artist came to completion while living and working in Germany. In 1964 he traveled to Europe, where he took an Art History course at the Institute of Hispanic Culture and completed his specialization in Mural Painting at the School of Fine Arts in Madrid, Spain. A year later, in 1965, he moved to Germany and held several solo and group exhibitions in different cities in this country. In 1969 he ventured into geometric abstraction and joined the group of artists known as “Semikolon”. In 1975 he decided to return to Colombia and became a professor at the prestigious School of Fine Arts at the Universidad Nacional. Throughout all the following years, Riveros stands out for his generosity, dedication and great responsibility with his work. In the 1980s and 1990s, he developed his Constructivist painting, with a clear influence from pre-Colombian art, as it approached a lyrical abstraction, where the brushstrokes, a wide range of dark colors, archetypal elements, and architectural and ornamental forms, become more evident. His production of the period is extensive and shows an artist venturing into improvisation, spontaneity, and expression. Starting in 1997, and more rigorously after 2010, Riveros resumed his sketches made in Germany four decades ago—many of them drawn with pencil on small pieces of paper and cardboard—to continue exploring the essence of painting. In 1999 his activity as a teacher ended. During this same year, the Norte de Santander Governorate decreed to include the life and work of Jorge Riveros in the school curriculum. Nowadays, Riveros continues to work incessantly with, in his own words, “ruler and compass,” to return to a pure and concrete abstraction that looks fresher than ever today. Riveros “reappears” at a time when the historical revision of Latin American art, and its diffusion through exhibitions and publications, is increasingly present in the United States and Europe. The artist affinity with today’s aesthetic sensibilities, the current interests and tastes, is recognizable, because through direct and simple statements, and at his 86 years, he has always practice the art of painting as a defense of reason, a meditative tool, a platform for spiritual elevation and a defense against the weaknesses of the human being. Throughout his artistic career, he has worked mainly acrylic and oil paintings, metal sculptures and projects for public spaces. Currently, he also creates reliefs and totems in wood.