“Slowing down. How to translate a landscape into an object, or the frames of a film into a sculpture? The typical foliage of the mangrove and the dunes steps in the hotel in a linear, filmlike succession of colorful cutouts. Slowing down the speed of the street, layers multiply towards the ocean, and into the building. The traditional Art-Deco color palette blends with the vegetable cutout patterns creating a soft, complex and welcoming new path towards bliss and beauty.”
My artistic interests have evolved from ornamentation and folklore, to faking landscapes and architecture through large scale installations. These artworks are strongly connected to the vegetable realm.
Not only through its motifs, but also in the free play of elements, like light, wind, and water that activates them. The idea is not copying, cloning or reproducing nature, but replicating its appeal in a combination of geometry, ornamentation and color.
I wonder if we are getting close to a moment when nature will have to be forged altogether. I live in an economically and politically unstable country, therefore I work with inexpensive materials and recreate popular and folkloric techniques to create contemporary artworks.
The choice of the right materials and techniques is a key element that keeps my production sustainable. My art practice does not involve personal opinions; it’s centered on the lightness of materials, the joy of color, and a strong visual intensity while addressing general and ambiguous issues.
The responses of general audiences to these artworks are usually very direct and enthusiastic. I try to make straightforward, bold artworks that enhance the physicality of both the artwork and the viewer. I have learned that this immediate and conspicuous presence has gained value in our increasingly virtualized world.
MANUEL AMEZTOY