Julio Le Parc (born September 23, 1928) is an Argentina-born artist who focuses on both modern
op art
Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions.
Op artworks are abstract, with many better-known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images ...
and
kinetic art. Le Parc attended the School of Fine Arts in Argentina. A founding member of
Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV) and award-winning artworks, he is a significant figure in Argentinean modern art.
[López, S. (2005).'' Le Parc Lumiere: Cinetic Works.'' Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, p.184-185.] He was bestowed the
Konex Award
Konex Foundation Awards, or simply Konex Awards, are cultural awards from the Konex Foundation honouring Argentine cultural personalities.
History and purpose
Konex Awards are granted by the Konex Foundation, created in 1980 in Argentina. The pur ...
from Argentina in 1982 and 2022.
Life
Julio Le Parc was inconnnn into a family of limited economic means. At age thirteen he moved with his mother and brothers to
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
.
[Katzenstein, I. (2004).''Listen, Here, Now!: Argentine art of the 1960s: writings of the Avant-Garde''. New York: Museum of Modern Art, p. 341.] While there he attended the School of Fine Arts and showed growing interest in artistic avant-garde movement in Argentina.
The School of Fine Arts is where Le Parc, along with fellow artists
Hugo Demarco,
F. García Miranda,
Francisco Sobrino
Francisco Sobrino (1932 – 11 May 2014) was a Spanish sculptor. His career began in 1959 when he moved to Paris to have a start in his career. His works can be seen in Tel Aviv, Guadalajara, Chicago, Madrid, New York City
...
,
Horacio García Rossi,
Molnar,
François Morellet
François Morellet (30 April 1926 – 10 May 2016) was a French contemporary abstract painter, sculptor, and light artist. His early work prefigured minimal art and conceptual art and he played a prominent role in the development of geometrical a ...
,
Sergio Mǫyano Servanes,
Jean-Pierre Yvaral
Jean-Pierre Vasarely (1934–2002), professionally known as Yvaral, was a French artist working in the fields of op-art and kinetic art from 1954 onwards. He was the son of Victor Vasarely, who was a pioneer of op-art.
Life and work
Yvaral s ...
, and
Jöel Stein formed the
Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel, or GRAV.
A precursor of
Kinetic Art and Op Art, founding member of
Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel[Ian Chilvers & John Glaves-Smith, A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art. Oxford University Press, p. 403] and recipient of the Grand Prize for Painting at the 33rd
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
in 1966, Julio Le Parc is a major figure in
modern art
Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradi ...
history. The socially conscious artist was expelled from France in May 1968, after participating in the Atelier Populaire and its protests against major institutions.
He currently lives and works in
Cachan
Cachan () is a Communes of France, commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris.
The prestigious École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay and École Spéciale des Travaux Publics are loc ...
France.
Career
Early
Julio Le Parc found an interest in art at the age of thirteen when it was evident that, while he was a mediocre student, he was exceptional at sketching portraits and illustration cards.
His environment, mainly being the School of Fine Arts significantly influenced the early part of his career. While there he attended night classes while working full-time. Le Parc took a special interest in the avant-garde artistic movements in Argentina:
Movement of Arte Concreto Invencion.
After attending the School for four and a half years he decided to leave the school and the area. He decides to go travel the country, not speaking to his family for eight years. He later returns to the
Academy of Fine Arts
The following is a list of notable art schools.
Accredited non-profit art and design colleges
* Adelaide Central School of Art
* Alberta College of Art and Design
* Art Academy of Cincinnati
* Art Center College of Design
* The Art Institute o ...
, where he takes an active role in student movement groups. Julio Le Parc graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts with
Luis Wells and
Rogelio Polesello.
[Ledezma, J. C., Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation., Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection. (2007). ''The sites of Latin American abstraction''. Milano: Charta.] After returning, in 1958 Le Parc received a grant from the
French Cultural Service to go to Paris, France.
[Ruiz, A. & Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles, Calif.). (2011). ''Supra sensorial: Experimentos en Luz Color, y Espacio = Experiments in Light, Color, and Space''. Los Angeles: The Museum of Contemporary Art.] Much of his early career was committed to painting, engraving and creating monotypes. However, in 1959 Le Parc begins his experimentation with image produced by light multiplied by layers of planes of Plexiglas. Le Parc participated in his first exhibition,
Bienal de Sáo Paulo in Sáo Paulo, Brazil in 1957.
Middle
Upon arriving in Paris in 1958 he connected with
Jesús Rafael Soto
Jesús Rafael Soto (June 5, 1923 – January 17, 2005) was a Venezuelan op and kinetic artist, a sculptor and a painter.
His works can be found in the collections of the main museums of the world, including Tate (London), Museum Ludwig (Germany ...
and
Carlos Cruz-Diez
Carlos Cruz-Diez (17 August 1923 – 27 July 2019) was a Venezuelan artist said by some scholars to have been "one of the greatest artistic innovators of the 20th century."
Exhibitions
* ''Physichromies de Cruz-Diez: Oeuvres de 1954 à 1965' ...
who were already in Paris.
There they met
Victor Vasarely
Victor Vasarely (; born Győző Vásárhelyi, ; 9 April 1906 – 15 March 1997) was a Hungarian-French artist, who is widely accepted as a "grandfather" and leader of the Op art movement.
His work entitled ''Zebra'', created in 1937, is consi ...
,
Georges Vantongerloo
Georges Vantongerloo (24 November 1886, Antwerp – 5 October 1965, Paris) was a Belgian abstract sculptor and painter and founding member of the De Stijl group.
Life
From 1905 to 1909 Vantongerloo studied Fine Art at the Fine Art Academies in A ...
,
Morellet, and
Denise René
Denise René (born Denise Bleibtreu; June 1913 – 9 July 2012) was a French art gallerist specializing in kinetic art and op art.
Life and work
Denise René took as her guiding principle the idea that art must invent new paths in order to exist ...
, whom they became friends with.
René, a French dealer, was committed to the promotion of abstract art, and later helped launch kineticism.
Upon building relationships with these fellow artists and moving permanently to Paris, Le Parc began to paint what came to be known as
Surfaces Sequences. These are works in which the progression of forms with slight variations create illusions of rhythmic movements when completed.
In 1960 the GRAV group was established with the collective strategy to delegate the creative act to the viewer. The group advocated for art to play a wider and more active role in society.
In 1966, Le Parc won the Grand Prize in Painting at the 33rd
Biennale di Venezia
The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
, Venice.
He had been living in Paris for eight years at the time of receiving the award.
By this time, Le Parc had invested himself in experiments with light. Le Parc had personal experiences with light and mobiles in a translucid cube, as well as an animated piece of light projected on ceilings, walls and the floor.
He was also experimenting with light on a reflecting cylinder.
A defender of
human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
, he fought against
dictatorship
A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship are ...
in Latin America. In 1972 he refused to hold a retrospective exhibition at the
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, after flipping a coin to make the decision.
[JULIO LE PARC Date: 27/02/2013 - 13/05/2013](_blank)
Late
Le Parc has continued his use of light and kinetics. However, "in the 1970s, Le Parc's artistic activities became less frequent, to the degree that his work almost went unnoticed in the international arena for several decades".
Nonetheless, with a renewed interest in using light as a medium, Le Parc's work is being brought to the attention of a wider public.
In 2004 he produced with
Yvonne Argenterio in the Elettrofiamma workshops, Italy, a series of sculptures (Torsions) presented at the event "Verso la Luce", in the Castle of Boldeniga (Brescia, Italy). The monumental sculpture "Verso la Luce" is still visible in the castle garden.
He received a one-man show at the
Palais de Tokyo
The Palais de Tokyo (''Tokyo Palace'') is a building dedicated to modern and contemporary art, located at 13 avenue du Président-Wilson, facing the Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The eastern wing of the building belongs to ...
in Paris in 2013.
He is socially committed to
immersive art.
Selected Artworks
''Mobil Transparent theme'', 1960
''Mobil Transparent theme'' is made up of small pieces of Plexiglas connected together like a translucent cascade flowing from the ceiling.
[Leyva, I. (2011). Julio Le Parc. ''Art Nexus'', 10(80), 99-100.] This work was the most highlighted work in his exhibition in Miami, Florida in 2011. This work was placed at the center of the main room, allowing the viewer to walk around it to see all the different angles reflected on a mirror directly below it on the floor.
Le Parc made an additional version of this work, originally from 1960, for the exhibition in Miami. He was also in the school.
''Light in Movement'', 1962
''Light in Movement'' is another sensorial artwork as with all of Le Parc's works, which did not aim to be a narrative but
experienced-based. The piece is made up of painted drywall, mirrors, stainless steel, nylon thread and two spotlights.
[Preciado, S. (2011). Suprasensorial: Emperiments in Light, Color, and Space. ''Art Nexus'',
10(80), 116-117.] The work is approximately 42 ft. x 16 ft. x 16 ft. This artwork is found inside a dark semi-circular hallway where light is experienced as both a reflection and refraction.
The viewer stands below the work and observes the myriad of twinkling lights around the space. This piece was also re-fabricated in 2010 for its installation at the Geffen.
As with many of Le Parents arc's works form this time, in an interview with
Alma Ruiz on MOCAs website, this piece focuses on the "visual experience and omits the anecdotal".
Le Parc along with the other member of GRAV focused heavily on the viewers experience and interaction with the artworks.
''Celule Avec Luminere un Vibration'', 1968
Similar to the ''Mobil Transparent theme'', this piece was also a part of the Miami exhibition in 2011. The intention of ''Celule Avec Luminere un Vibration'' is to incorporate light and the sensorial experience of the viewer. This piece is from 1968 and is 150 x 157x 137 in.
[Salgado, G. (2005). Julio Le Parc: The Low-Tech, High-Magic of Light Works. ''Art Nexus'', 4(58), 102-105.] A projector displays light on a wall and changes pattern in a rhythmical way that appears to be a vibration.
This piece was placed in a separate room by itself away from the other artworks to help the viewer enjoy the experiences of light and sound.
The goal was to make the viewer feel as though they were isolated from the rest of the world.
''Alchemy 175 and 216'', 1991-92
One of Le Parc's key endeavors is the ''Alchemy series''. He used two paintings from this series in the Miami exhibition of 2011, ''Alchemy 175'' and ''Alchemy 216''.
The ''Alchemy series'' is titled Alchemy, followed by a number representing the order that it was created. ''Alchemy 175'' is from 1991, and ''Alchemy 216'' from 1992.
These two pieces are claimed to be Le Parc's tribute to this science as they both explore the significance of water. Water is referred to as one of the four main elements of nature and is the symbol of flux, renovation and purification.
He is again exploring movement, however in these paintings he uses water, he does this by painting fountains sprinkling water in an umbrella form and using light to change the perception of the viewer.
''Modulation 1160'', 2004
The ''Modulation series'' is another significant series Le Parc has been working on since the early 70's. Again, similar to the ''Alchemy series'', this series is titled Modulation, followed by a number in the order that it was created.
''Modulation 1160'' is a work from 2004 in which many believe this is one of the finest works from the Modulation group.
The piece is split into quarters, right in the middle from the top to the bottom with what appears to be a ray of light, and side to side with a structure that looks like an open fan. The work is acrylic on canvas and measures 39 ½ x 39 ½ in.
This painting gives the illusion of movement of both the light and the fan at the same time. It appears that the light is actually activating the fan, thus putting it into motion.
The ''Modulation series'' consists of hundreds of different works that Le Parc describes as experiments.
Additional Artworks
*''Images projetées'', 1962
*''Sol instable'', 1964/2005
*''Retrospectiva'', Instituto Di Tella, Buenos Aires, 1967
*''Rubans au vent'', 1988
*''Lumière sur mât'', 1999
[Le, P.J., Steffen, K., Casa Daros. (2013). ''Julio Le Parc: Kinetic Works''. Ostfildren: Hatje Cantz, p. 248-251.]
Exhibitions
Solo
* Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), Miami, Florida, USA, 2016
* Serpentine Sackler Gallery, London, United Kingdom, 2014
* Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France, 2013
* ''Otra Mirada'', Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2010
* ''Le Parc. Lumière''. La Habana, Cuba, 2009
* ''Julio Le Parc et Vertige Vertical''. Cachan, France, 2005
* ''Julio Le Parc - Verso la Luce - TORSIONS'', scultura monumentale permanente nel giardino del Castello di Boldeniga-Brescia(Italia), 2004
* ''Alquimias''. Quito, Ecuador, 1998
* ''Salle de jeux et travaux de surface''. Arcueil, France, 1996
* ''Obra reciente''. Valencia, Spain, 1991
* ''Modulazioni di Julio Le Parc''. Brescia, Italy, 1988
* Galleria La Polena, Genova, Italy, 1979
* Galerie Denise René, New York, New York, USA, 1973
* ''Kinetische Objekte''. Ulm, Germany, 1970
Group
* ''Flash! Light and Movement''. Tampere, Finland, 2009
* ''50 años de pintura geométrica latino-americana''. La Plata, Argentina, 2002
* ''Portes ouvertes''. Cachan, France, 1994
* ''I Bienal de Cuenca''. Cuenca, Ecuador, 1987
* ''Arte Programmata e Cinetica 1953-1963''. Milano, Italy, 1983
* ''Brigade International de Peintres Antifascistes''. Athens, Greece, 1975
* ''Kinetics''. London, UK, 1970
* ''Light in Orbit''. New York, New York, USA, 1967
* ''Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel''. Paris, France, 1960
* ''IV Bienal de São Paulo''. São Paulo, Brazil, 1957
References
External links
Official websiteJulio le Parcat the
Serpentine Galleries
The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Central London. Recently rebranded to just Serpentine, the organisation is split across Serpentine South, previously known as the Serpentine Gallery, ...
2014
{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Parc, Julio
1928 births
Living people
Modern sculptors
Argentine sculptors
Male sculptors
Op art
20th-century Argentine male artists
21st-century Argentine male artists
People from Mendoza, Argentina
Argentine contemporary artists