Julio Le Parc

biography

Julio Le Parc (1928, Mendoza – Argentina) is considered one of the great referents of geometric art, both optical and kinetic. The way elements are employed triggers the surprise and suggest the eye, seeking to absolutely involve the viewer in the work. To do so, he makes use of artificial lighting, specular effects, reflections and movements, created by the use of mechanical bands that move through hidden devices. Over the years, his investigations led him to create works that were in perpetual transformation and in constant instability, encouraging an active relationship between the viewer and the artistic object.

Visionary, committed, irreverent, are some of the adjectives with which the work of this Argentine artist can be defined. When he settled in Paris in the mid-20th century he became one of the greatest emblems of contemporary art. In the 60s Le Parc broke up with the artistic tradition that had prevailed until then, moving away from static works and approaching a dynamic conception of art. His kinetic works belong to the set of works through which he implemented the use of machinery, that is, external contingents, to create a transformation of reality. Its light games modify the space, recreate it permanently and at the same time dissolve it, including us in the total work of art.

On the other hand, the mobiles developed from 1960 to nowadays, lead him to achieve a large array and variety of situations through experiences with an apparently simple work with which he manages to transform reality. The notions of movement, instability and probability appear clearly, and with them the notion of multiplicity and of constant change. In these works, the real elements (whether metal or plexiglass plates) lose their presence and their reality is confused with the forms produced by the reflections and the variability of the viewpoints.

Finally, his paintings respond to the relationship between surface and form. In this relationship, the viewer’s eye appears as the protagonist for establishing the visual link between the work, the retina and consciousness. The feeling of uniformity is produced by the use of simple geometric shapes that generate, on the canvas, regularity effects on the surface appreciated by the viewer. The importance of vibration of color, as a predetermined range studied and is another essential factor.

Le Parc is a plural and multifaceted artist who infinitely explores the various plastic and theoretical possibilities that cross his path to develop a body of work that transforms and generates an eternal experience.

Julio Le Parc entered the Prilidiano Pueyrredón National Academy of Fine Arts in 1942. In 1955 he began his studies at the Ernesto de la Cárcova High School of Fine Arts, In 1958 he was awarded a scholarship by the French government and settled in Paris where he founded the G.R.A.V. (Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel -Group of Visual Art Research-) and was a member of the Nueva Tendencia group. In 1966 he obtained the International Grand Prize for Painting at the Venice Biennale. Throughout his extensive career he has received numerous distinctions, among which are: Legion of Honor, Rank of Knight, Paris, France (2014), First Prize of the 1st International Painting Biennial, Cuenca, Ecuador (1987), International Special Prize, Instituto Di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1964) and in conjunction with the GRAV group has received the Gold Medal, San Marino Biennial, Italy (1963) and the First Team Work, Paris Biennial, France (1963). In 2012 the Cultural Center that bears his name was inaugurated in Mendoza, Argentina. He has held numerous solo and group exhibitions, including: Serpentine, Sackler Gallery, London, England (2014), Le Parc Lumiere, solo exhibition at the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires (2014) and Casa Daros, Río de Janeiro; Soleil Froid, individual exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2013), the group exhibitions Dynamo, in the national galleries of the Grand Palais in Paris (2013) and Real-Virtual, kinetic art from the sixties, at the National Museum of Fine Arts (2012), among others. He lives and works in Paris, France.