The exhibition A Fine Figure: Contemporary Mexican and Latin American Art is presented by the International Cultural Exchange (ICE), which is dedicated to supporting and advancing the work of artists from the Americas, and by Susan Eley Fine Art, an important Upper West Side Gallery in New York City that focuses on contemporary art by emerging artists. This exhibition follows the one at the New York Academy of Art in 2007, and is part of a series to introduce the creative accomplishments of Mexican and Latin Americans artists to other nations.

Suzanne Schachter (USA) and Antonio Arelle (Mexico), creators and founders of ICE, have co-curated this exhibit with Eley. The show will include about 30 works of art by artists from Mexico and other countries from Latin America.

The opening night reception for “A Fine Figure: Contemporary Mexican and Latin American Art” will take place at Susan Eley Fine Art on Tuesday, March 11th 2008 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Cocktails are graciously offered at the generosity of Casa Cuervo. The exhibition will remain on view at the Gallery, 46 West 90th street, 2nd floor, through April 17th from Monday to Friday by appointment. The Gallery is located between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

The featured artists have been specially selected from the more than 200 that ICE promotes in various countries. Some of them are: Alfonso Marti, Claudia Ramos, Daniel Romero, Daniela Manzur, Edgar Cano, Emmanuel Cruz, Gustavo Villegas, Luis Morales, Rocío Saenz, Roman Miranda and Yoel Diaz.

Invitees for the reception include some of the most prestigious members of the Latin and Hispanic Community of New York. The Consul General of Mexico in NY, Ambassador Ruben Beltrán, the Executive Director of the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York, Mr. Raúl Zorrilla, the Queen Sophia Spanish Institute, Spain Consulate, Consulates and Embassies of the Latin American countries of some of our artists, The Mexican American Chamber of Commerce, Association of Hispanic Arts, Hispanic Society of America, The Americas Society, National Hispanic Business Group, New York University, Columbia University, New School University, Hunter College, Trinity College, Barnard College, El Museo del Barrio, Casa Puebla New York, Hispanic Federation, Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders, The King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at New York University, Hispanic owned cafes, restaurants and stores, Time Warner Inc, The Bravo Group, All members of the Hispanic Association of Advertising Agencies based in NYC, and the Hispanic Lawyers Firms based in New York City.

THE FIGURE IN CONTEMPORARY MEXICAN
& LATIN AMERICAN ART - MARCH 2008

Why do artists paint the figure? Asking this is like asking why biologists study the body or why psychologists analyze the inner workings of the brain. In rendering the figure, artists create a likeness of themselves, their loved ones, strangers or imagined or fantastical forms to make sense of their communities and their world.

“A Fine Figure: Contemporary Mexican and Latin American Art” covers a broad range of ways in which artists represent the form—some abstract universal depictions, exemplified by Alfonso Marti’s idealized figures in frieze like profile, evocative of ancient Greek temple décor, or specific portraits such as Rocio Saenz’s haunting paintings of her husband having supper or reading. Whether one or the other, the paintings on view reflect a fascination with the mystery of the human form—how the artist wants to be perceived, or conversely, how he looks out at the world.

Among the some 30 paintings on view are Claudia Ramos’ Mar Dorado, a stunning classical nude rendered in earth tones, Miguel Angel Orta’s Baños del Chopo, a parade of impossibly blonde dancers festooned in identical chorus girl costumes, and Edgar Cano’s untitled portraits of enigmatic men.

Some paintings depict a real place and time such as Daniela Manzur’s Sabado Distrito Federal, showing an officer directing traffic at a busy intersection in Mexico City, or Gustavo Villegas’ sun dappled street in Santiago, created in a loosely photo realist style.

This exhibition also features renowned Mexican painter Julia López’s Comunion, an iconic portrait of a young girl in a white gown on her communion day, the type of religious portrait ubiquitous in homes throughout Mexico.