"Two Artists from Brazil" Antonio Vargas & Yiftah Peled
Exhibit: March 18 - Aprl 1, 2005
Opening Reception: Friday, March 18, 2005, 6-8 pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, March 19, 2005, 4-6 pm
During the second half of March, La Peña presents “Two Artists from Brazil” This exhibition of contemporary Brazilian art features the work of Antonio Vargas and Yiftah Peled. The opening reception will be taking place at La Peña Gallery on Friday, March 18th from 6-8pm with an artist talk on Saturday, March 19th from 4-6pm.
Antonio Vargas has a PhD in Arts from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid. He is a visiting professor from the Universidad of Barcelona and presently teaches art theory at the Santa Catarina State University in Florianopolis, Brazil. He is the director of extension and research of the school of art. He is a painter, designer, sculptor as well as a web artist. He has been a part of several collectives and individual exhibitions in Brazil, Spain and Germany and has received several awards for his work.
Antonio Vargas’ “21 Grotesque Digital Prints” are kaleidoscope-like images where there is much more to be seen than what is noticed at first glance. It is only after closer inspection that the viewer is able to see the “grotesque” nature of the work. (Be warned that they are not suitable for children or the easily offended)
Yiftah Peled is an artist who has been living in Brazil since 1991. He was born Israel in 1964 and studied Sculpture in England from 1987 to 1990. After graduating, he moved to Brazil where he has been working as an artist and art teacher. He presently lives in Florianopolis, where he is concluding his post graduation studies at the State University of Santa Catarina. Peled has participated in several individual and group exhibitions around Brazil, in England, China, Portugal and Israel. In 1994 he took part at the Brazilian representation at the International Biennial of Sao Paulo.
Yiftah Peled’s artistic production has an experimental character. He uses a variety of means as performance, situations created in public spaces, installations, participative environments, photography and films. At La Peña, Yiftah is going to show three works: one dealing with the question of geographic borders through the participation of the viewers. Another work is going to be distributed to the public that can build up the work at home. The third work, an installation titled “Atchim”, deals with perception and how it expands through the image.