BERNARDO ORTIZ

BERNARDO ORTIZ - S/t #4

Technique: Sumi-e ink on paper. Sumi-e ink on paper

Bogotá, 1972.
Lives and works in Bogotá.
Drawer and writer. Studied art at the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá) and later obtained a master's degree in philosophy at the Universidad del Valle (Cali). Recent solo exhibitions: Baja resolución (Casas Riegner, Bogotá), Fricção (Luisa Strina, São Paulo), Borrar (Museo de Arte Moderno, Buenos Aires). Group exhibitions: 30th São Paulo Biennial (São Paulo), 11th Lyon Biennial (Lyon), 20th Biennial of Sydney (Sydney). Curatorial projects: 41 Salón Nacional de Artistas (Cali), 7 Bienal do Mercosul (Porto Alegre). He has taught at IDBA (Cali), Universidad del Valle (Cali), Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá), Parque Lage (Rio de Janeiro). He is currently resident tutor at Flora Ars + Natura (Bogotá).
His work is present in prominent collections, including the Lara Collection, Tate Modern Collection, London, UK; Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, USA; CNAP Centre National des Arts Plastiques, France; Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt, Germany; Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection, New York, USA; Museo de arte Moderno la Tertulia, Cali, Colombia; Kadist Art Foundation, Paris, France; Private collections, USA, Brazil, England, Colombia.
"His work seeks to point out a crack (or a gap, or a distance) between a support - a page, a sheet of paper, a wall - and its content - a scratch, two words, several stains, a colour. Seen in this way, the work looks like a snake biting its own tail. Because if the content affects the support, the support returns by affecting the content. As a general rule, the interventions on the support are almost always minimal - very hard pencils that leave very thin and almost invisible lines, very light papers, very thin layers of paint. In that sense the "page" determines what can happen on it. It can be, for example, the contrast between the transparency of the paper and the opacity of the gouache, the weight of the oil or the density of the glaze. Other times it can be small differences between two identical drawings. For example: a drawing that says "He found happiness" next to another that says "He found A happiness". The way in which certain formal strategies can be exploited to say things. In that sense they are literary drawings about paintings. Reproductions on pages.

Bogotá, 1972

Lives and works in Bogotá.

Draughtsman and writer. BFA in arts from Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá) and MA in Philosophy from Universidad del Valle (Cali). Recent solo shows: Low Resolution (Casas Riegner, Bogotá), Friction (Luisa Strina, São Paulo), Erase (Museo de Arte Moderno, Buenos Aires). Selected group shows: 30 Bienal de São Paulo (São Paulo), XI Bienal du Lyon (Lyon), 20th Sydney Biennial (Sydney). Curatorial projects: 41 Salón Nacional de Artistas (Cali), 7 Bienal do Mercosul (Porto Alegre). Teaching: IDBA (Cali), Universidad del Valle (Cali), Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá), Parque Lage (Rio de Janeiro). Currently he is Resident Tuto at Flora Ars + Natura (Bogotá).
His works are part of important collections such as Colección Lara, Tate Modern Collection, London, UK; Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, USA; CNAP Centre National des Arts Plastiques, France; Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt, Germany; Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection, New York, USA; Museo de arte Moderno la Tertulia, Cali, Colombia; Kadist Art Foundation, Paris, France; and Private collections in USA, Brazil, England, Colombia.
"The work seeks to point out the gap between a support -a page, a sheet of paper, a wall- and its content -a trace, two words, five blobs of paint, a colour. Seen that way, the work may seem self-referential. If content affects its support then that support will also affect its content. As a general rule, the interventions on the support are always subtle: hard-leaded pencils that leave behind extremely sharp and light lines, very thin coats of paint. The "page" defines what may happen in it. It may be the contrast between its transparency and the opaqueness of gouache, the weight of oil paint or the density of enamel. Sometimes it may just be small differences between two exact drawings. For example: a drawing that says "He found happiness" next to another drawing that says "He found A happiness". The way in which certain formal strategies can be used to say things. These are literary drawings that "talk" about painting. Reproductions on a page."