Víctor Robledo: “Una parte de mí”

July 22 – Aug. 29, 2009

Presenting four interrelated series of photographs gathered under the title “Una parte de mi” (“A Part of Me”), renowned Colombian photographer Victor Robledo continues an ongoing exploration of his everyday environment. In so doing, he captures almost abstract and ethereal images that poetically reveal the presence of intangible and often invisible elements like air, light, water and movement.

Moving through the works on display, one cannot help but hold one’s gaze on what seems to be the core of the exhibition: a series of images displaying fragments of grid-like glass windows reflecting orange-tinted clouds, tree branches and segments of apartment buildings. Harmoniously displaying geometric and natural elements in apparent motion, these images effectively synthesize the key concepts underscoring Robledo’s show further hinted at through discreet yet all-embracing phrases strategically placed around the gallery halls.

Robledo places himself and the spectator within natural and domestic everyday settings, proposing a more subjective and spiritual experience of space resulting from a constant and meticulous observation of the natural light that suffuses it. Through an attentive and intimate seeing, Robledo manages to record light and its infinite variations with a subtlety that permeates his entire body of work. What seem to be images of dull white walls and sharp doorframes are transformed through Robledo’s lens into subdued atmospheres redefined by delicate alterations of light and shade. A sequence of close-ups rendering the austere texture of concrete pavement is softened by the fuzzy image of a tree branch reflected on a puddle of rainwater triggering endless visual associations. Notions of movement and the passing of time are best exemplified by photographs recording a nostalgic pastoral landscape that compel the viewer to experience a sense of awe while recalling abstract color-field paintings.

Evidencing a profound understanding of how the eye and lens perceive light, the photographs comprising “Una parte de mi” (“A Part of Me”) have an evocative power capable of conjuring up a plethora of memories and emotions. Moreover, they act as contemporary portraits that seek to reveal and comment on certain aspects of the artist’s identity. All in all, Robledo’s images oscillate between reality and the world of dreams, exuding meditative and transcendental qualities that incite us to reflect on our surroundings in novel and unfamiliar ways.

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