Pelenur's Processes

pelelnur01(Uruguayan, Born 1977 in Buenos Aires) Martin Pelenur is a materials and process-based printer who uses resins, industrial paints, tapes and other objects to create compelling abstract works. His painting relies heavily on chemical reactions between these materials. The act of application and subsequent reaction create intricate patterns to form the basic content of the works.

As methodical as the artist is, it is the randomness and excitement of unknown results that give Pelenur's work special appeal. Working primarily in old abandoned floors of Montevideo's old city, Pelenur can work large while experimenting on numerous processes simultaneously. In short, Pelenur's works appear to be calculated surprise.

Recent series by Pelenur involve the application of various forms of tape and unique papers into stunning 3 dimensional grids or patterns laid on a 2D surface, usually in structured squares or rectangular forms in blacks, whites, rich blues and the earthy warm southern palette. (Scroll down to see video of Martin Pelenur at work.)

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Statement

Says the artist,

"A small thought about my work:

Something I like to say is that I put “painting to paint”, I generate the conditions for this event to happen. I work with variables such as time, quantity and the horizontal plane. Fixing some of these variables I start to research chemical processes when painting. In extreme I set painting to work (a painter who doesn’t paint) and devote myself to generate the conditions for this to happen. By means of this chemical process, like I said, I set painting to work. This event happens in one unique moment in which the gesture appears, arises to the surface,takes place and occurs.I try to leave no mark in my work, no brushstroke, no “painter’s hand” just the paint gesture.

My goal when painting is to produce a presence and to give birth to the pictorial fact. I live this process through what Deleuze calls “diagram concept”, in which basically the painting comes past through this ?lter diagram, erases all data reference and creates its own event / fact. The act of painting, the pictorial fact, emerges when the form is put in relation to forces, forces that aren’t visible. Painting forces is, in fact, the event… and that’s where I am now.

I see Painting as way of thinking. Probably I am immersed in the technical problems of painting. Those are the ones that interest me. The more time I work in my studio the better painter I’ll be. Recently I started to get attracted with the grid and its basic unit: the square. From there, the series I am creating now.

Artist Martin Pelenur at work in one of his studios in Ciuda Vieja, Uruguay

 

Previous Shows

2011
Feria ArteBa. Galería del Paseo, Alejandra VonHartz Gallery. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Artista seleccionado IX Bienal de Salto. Salto, Uruguay.
Monolito de Kubrick Reloaded al azul Yves Klein. WTC, Montevideo.
Work Premises. Alejandra VonHartz Gallery. Miami, USA.
 
2010
CAPAS. Casa Chivas, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Scholarship Award - Goethe Institute.
54° National Prize from the National Museum of Visual Arts, MNA, Montevideo, Uruguay.
"Huevo Kapoor a la Barniz Pelenur" SUBTE, Centro Municipal de Exposiciones. Montevideo, Uruguay.
Pekin: Cintas Ortogonales y Cuadrados Sintéticos. Galería Van Riel. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Feria ArteBA. Galería VanRiel y Galería Turbo. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
 
 
2009
NY Joint. Soho, New York, USA.
The Other Room. Los Angeles, USA.
Recent works. Galería Del Paseo. Manantiales. Punta Del Este, Uruguay.
Open Studio / Ciudad Vieja. Montevideo, Uruguay.
 
2008
Selected in the 53 National Award of Visual Arts, National Museum of Visual Arts,Montevideo, November Collective exhibition "Amigos de lo Ajeno".
Turbo Gallery. Buenos Aires, July.
Collective exhibition "Interferencias en el Sistema, Montevideo, April.
Individual exhibition, "Aproximación a una gota de pintura (negra)" Pablo AtchugarryFoundation Manantiales, Punta del Este, Uruguay, January.
 
2007
Collective exhibition "Antecedente al Gen". Galeria Marte up Market. Montevideo, December.Collective exhibition Nómade Gallery. Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, September.Collective exhibition "Nuevas Vías de Acceso". MNAV (National Museum of Visual Arts).Montevideo, October.
Individual exhibition "China". VanRiel Gallery. Buenos Aires, July.
Selected for the 52 National Award of Visual Arts, National Museum of Visual Arts,Montevideo, January
 
 
2006
Collective exhibition Feria APEU. Hotel Conrad, Punta del Este, Uruguay, January.Collective exhibition "Paisajes", Galería Caja 1/1. Buenos Aires, Argentina, March.Collective exhibition "Absorciones". MEC. Montevideo, Uruguay
 
2005
Collective exhibition "0". Espacio Perez Castellanos. Montevideo, Uruguay, August.
Individual exhibition Club Social La Pedrera. Rocha, Uruguay, January
Collective exhibition. Galería Marte up Market. Montevideo, Uruguay, October.
 
2004
Collective exhibition Estación AFE. Montevideo, Uruguay, June.
Individual exhibition Galería Base Elements, Barcelona, España, September.
 
2003
Individual exhibition Colleción Engelman-ost. Montevideo, Uruguay, May.
Collective exhibition Feria Molino de Pérez. Montevideo, Uruguay, November.
 
2002
Collective exhibition Centro Cultural San Felipe y Santiago. Montevideo, Uruguay,
November.Collective exhibition Atrio de la Intendencia de Montevideo, Uruguay, December
Studies at the FAC, Fundación de Arte Contemporáneo, with artist Fernando Lopez Lage
 
 
© Copyright for Statement, Video and Images: Martin Pelenur.
All enquiries should be made directly to the artist at:

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