Biography
Mariano Baqués was born in Buenos Aires in 1976. In 2005 he held his first individual show I’m not a poor man anymore [Ya no soy un hombre pobre] (BA Cultural Fund Prize) in Recoleta Cultural Center. He has taken part in several colective exhibitions, which include An Imaginary Value [Un Valor Imaginario] presented in Recoleta Cultural Center and Egotrip [TN: originally in English] in Appetite Galery as two of its most representative. He is an architect and focused his studies on plastic expression.
His second individual exhibition Papers [Papeles] opened the Contemporary Art Cycle in the Botanic Garden’s House, in Buenos Aires, celebrated in July 2007.
Vision of art
1. Choose a work that represents you, describe it in relation to its format and materiality, its relation with time and space, its style and theme; detail its production process.
The Papers [Papeles] series consist in 50 gouache of 45 x 35 cm approximately, carried out throughout two years, in different rhythms. Those that can be formally familiarized by tones are those that have been developed continually. This temporal line, however, could be altered at any stage becoming irrelevant. I can see in them the faulty attempt to always reproduce the same gouache, something that is always –thank God and the Virgen- possible.
2. In general terms, how would you suggest to approach your work?
Look at the surface. It doesn’t matter the way you look at it, especially if it is suggested by the author of the artwork.
3. In reference to your work and your position in the national and international art fields, what tradition do you recognize yourself in? Who are your contemporary referents? What artists of previous generations are of interest to you?
It is hard to recognize me as part of a tradition, not due to modesty, it is just hard to figure myself up as part of a tradition. I’m interested in oriental techniques such as Sumie-e and the Kiri-e, as well as in a great part of this century’s painting, like Rothko, Gutero, Klee, etc.
4. Choose works or exhibitions from the last ten or fifteen years which in your opinion were very significant and explain why
I really liked Cambre´s exhibition presented in Recoleta Cultural Center or Londaibere’s displayed in Borges Cultural Center. Arellano in Botanic Garden. Berni in National Museum of Fine Arts (Buenos Aires). Pombo in Rojas Cultural Center (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Molina Campos in La Plata. Maccio. Aizenberg, Guttero. I have attended National Museum of Fine Art’s permanent exhibition about 50 times. Grassi in Abate and Alzeta in The Tunnel’s Galery. Many.
5. What tendencies or groupings from common elements do you see in argentine art of the last ten or fifteen years?
Small groups. Small developments regardless of all the mayor mediatic “tendencies”. Maybe this matter is more suitable for a conversation than an answer.
