Carlos Capelán

BALTIC presents a major solo exhibition of work by Carlos Capelán. onlyyou is a playful exploration into issues of self and this series of new works includes wall drawings, video, photography, sculpture and installation.

The art of Carlos Capelán combines expert craftsmanship with concept, and form with ideas. He makes use of many different techniques from more traditional mediums, like painting and sketching to installations and sculptures made from every day objects like chairs, plates and bottles. Wine, plastic bags, fizzy drinks and clippings from his own fingernails are among the unusual materials that he uses to make his work.

The exhibition can be viewed as a kind of portrait of the self. Capelán allows just a small number of figurative elements to be visible in his work (the head, the face, the torso, the sleeping form, and the heart), which he groups into various different constellations in order to generate new interpretations and associations. The artist’s own face, body and handprints are depicted repeatedly in different forms throughout the exhibition.

Self, the individual, the cultural, the social, the political, are all central points of focus in his work. Each work suggests an emotional warmth rather than a critical coldness, enabling the viewer to readily empathise with Capelán’s gentle exposure of life. onlyyou is commissioned by BildMuseet, Sweden and is part of the Visual Community Network.

Carlos Capelán was born in Uruguay in 1948, and has lived and worked in Sweden since 1973, with studios in Spain, Lund and Costa Rica. He currently holds the position of professor at the Vestland's Art Academy in Bergen, Norway. Carlos Capelán is an artist who works across many media: he draws, paints, works in graphics, makes installations, photos and sculptures, curates exhibitions and sets up academic performances.

Pressetext

Carlos Capelán, onlyyou
Carlos Capelan
Level 2