“Visual statements of thoughtful and creative imagination” Is what Armando Alemar Ara attempts to portray in his latest exhibition at Camberwell’s GXgallery.
The exhibition is somewhat divided into two distinctive and very different styles over its 18 pieces. Alemar uses this to capture the ever-changing inner workings of the human spirituality.
As a co-founder of ‘Neomodernism’, Alemdar’s often intends to create a visual representation of different states of conciseness in his work.
The two styles differ in virtually every aesthetic aspect and aim to capture two very different states of being. Styles used in ‘Adam’, ‘Falling is Also Flying’, ‘Orpheus and Euredice’, ‘The Vision’ and ‘Vision’ (2014) are noticeably more simplistic, employing a very basic colour palette of no more than two colours and using Conte crayons on watercolour paper. They also depict a clear object, a person, often positioned unnaturally.
These pieces capture more desperate, unsettling aspects of the human emotion using simple, monochromatic, visuals alongside prevalent negative space. This provides the viewer with an aura of emptiness that communicates feelings of sadness and tragedy.
The contrast between the two styles that Alemar employs is perhaps the most prolific communicative techniques of his in the exhibition.
The rest of the exhibition consists of pieces comprised of abstract imagery and a varied palette, using oil on linen. The contrast between this and the aforementioned pieces highlights the emotion that each set of works attempt to display.
The warm colour scheme, gentle shapes and use of shadows allows this piece to offer a very comforting, calm feel, manifesting something of an upbeat aura.
This set of pieces in particular benefits from the small, homely gallery space that the GXgallery offers, to make the viewer feel relaxed and at ease.
The gallery describes the creation process of Alemar’s work thusly: “Armando closely follows the Renaissance techniques and for his subject matter his ideas are almost always drawn from his readings on mythology, philosophy and theology. […] His work represents one of the most original visual styles since the dawn of Modernism.”
The similarities between Alemar’s work and Renaissance art, are striking, yet he manages to maintain a unique style. His inspiration from mythological, philosophical and theological readings and the influence that this has on his work is clear when one considers the spirituality that the exhibition concerns itself with.
Armando Alemar Ara’s exhibition at Camberwell’s GXgallery is instantly recognisable as combining complexity and simplicity to manifest juxtaposing human experiences and feelings. For this reason, the exhibition takes the observer on something of a journey through their own interpretations of emotions.
